Like a thief in the night, so too is Albury Council trying to rob you. On July 1 tip fees for general waste skyrocketed.
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For the small businesses that make a living cleaning up back yards, garages and businesses, along with all ratepayers and their families, the tip has traditionally had a domestic rate that included up to 500kg. Last year this rate was $36. As of July 2018, this will be abolished and locals will be forced to pay commercial rates of $152 per tonne.
They will try to persuade you that their other fees are mostly unchanged in an attempt to distract you from the exorbitant rate hike but many rates are already so high they couldn't put them up anyway. It's nearing $40 to dispose of a mattress.
In my experience (I collect garbage for a living), more and more families are hiring skip bins, skip bags and extra bin services due to the already reduced services council are providing. And those that can't afford those services are stockpiling rubbish in their own back yard. I see it all too often.
Yes society does have a waste problem but for as long as things come in un-reuseable packaging we are always going to have that problem. Stop trying to profit from hard working locals in the guise of better waste management. Punishing ratepayers will do nothing to fix the greater issues that society faces. Instead of being disingenuous how about council having an attitude of looking at how they can serve the community.
Brendan Adams, Albury
We need solutions
I write in response to your front-page article regarding the “Hills Foist” (The Border Mail, June 28) which provided an inaccurate and sensationalised view.
Protect Wodonga Hills is a discredited activist group holding no authority to represent or speak on behalf of any community as their spokeswoman purports, except provide online opinions from the couple of anonymous members they claim to represent.
It is a group made up of a couple of people with properties backing on or near Hunchback Hill.
They have persisted in online postings denigrating Wodonga Councillors, staff at Wodonga Council and staff at Parklands Albury-Wodonga, to the extent where it became online bullying.
The Protect Wodonga Hills activist group would not have been happy with any Hills advisory group appointed unless the outcome had been completely in that group’s favour.
Wodonga residents did not elect the Protect Wodonga Hills group to represent any of the issues concerning Wodonga, and rightfully have no place on the Hills Advisory Board.
Wodonga Council was looking for people who could find solutions, not creating division in the community which Protect Wodonga Hills group has revelled in.
Grant Pratt, Wodonga
Quality result on NBN
In a climate of constant criticism of NBN over the years, our experience is totally positive.
With the main internal data line in our home being accidentally disconnected during some renovations on a Friday afternoon, a call was made to our provider TPG to report the situation. TPG reported the project to NBN and at 10am on Saturday, the NBN technician arrived to repair the cable and restore the internet and telephone service. We need to recognise quality service when it is provided.