Bob Mathews, who owns supermarkets at East Albury, Springdale Heights and Jindera, has lodged a request with the ACCC urging it to order the scheme’s start be delayed from December 1.

The grocer has also written to Small Business Minister Michael McCormack outlining his action and dissatisfaction with the program which will see 10-cent refunds for drink containers.

Mr Mathews is particularly concerned that Woolworths has been favoured with the selection of sites for machines to take containers.

He is also worried Woolworths can veto other sites for machines, planning rule waivers for installing the units and who benefits from the scheme’s money flows.

Those issues follow an earlier bid to have an exclusion zone set up along the Murray River with vendors fearing a fall in trade to Victoria due to drink prices being higher in NSW with the scheme.

“The federal government can’t take an injunction against the state government, however the ACCC can take an injunction against the state government if they feel are some activities occurring that need some clarification,” Mr Mathews said.

The ACCC declined to comment on the complaint.

TOMRA-Cleanaway chief Ken Donley, whose company is responsible for the rollout of vending machines, defended the relationship with Woolworths at a meeting with Mr Mathews and other concerned business figures in Albury on Friday.

He said Woolworths had responded when others did not and was the only supermarket company that could accommodate the voucher system used to give refunds.

Mr Donley also defended using Paypal for online credits for container deposits because bank transaction fees would have negated the value of the refunds.

EPA manager Alex Young at the same event noted “some angst” at ties to Woolworths but added “that’s not an exclusive arrangement”.