CLEANAWAY has been granted an extension to the interim organic waste collection service in four local council areas until the fate of a bid to build a composting facility on the outskirts of Howlong is known.
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Albury Council agreed to the company's request in a confidential session on Monday night when Cr Darren Cameron was an apology from the monthly meeting and Cr Henk van de Ven declared a conflict of interest on the issue due to Cleanaway being a client of his business.
Cleanaway has been granted the extension until a Joint Regional Planning Panel makes a ruling on a development application to build the $8 million compost facility as part of the Howlong tip site.
No date has been set for the hearing.
A previous attempt to build a compost facility on farmland at Gerogery was rejected by the JRPP before an appeal by Cleanaway was dismissed in the NSW Land and Environment Court.
Cr Cameron had previously argued for the Howlong site to be abandoned and the compost plant be built at the Albury tip.
Meanwhile, one of the founding members of the lobby group formed to fight Cleanaway's plans, Ken Walton, has died.
Mr Walton, who died of cancer, aged 70, at the weekend, was the the inaugural chairman of the Howlong Community Committee.
Committee member Mark Shields said Mr Walton's leadership on the issue had proved critical before ill-health forced him to resign about a month ago.
"He got us into a workable format where we could get organised and move forward in fighting this proposal,” Mr Shields said.
"If it had not been for Ken I don't think we would be the force we are today.
"I'm sure every committee member would agree with me on that point.
"The Howlong community has lost a real heavyweight and someone who will be really hard to replace."
Mr Walton, who held senior roles with Telstra before his retirement, also played a leading role in turning around the the financial fortunes of the Howlong Country Club in the late 2000s.
The club had lost more than a $1 million in an 18-month period before a new board swept to power with Mr Walton at the helm as president.
His funeral will be held in Howlong on Friday.