I think I am well placed to comment on this as I was the Councillor who moved the motion to introduce the $5 charge for household waste up to 200kg two years ago (at that time the minimum charge was $15). Anyone who follows local government in Albury will know I am unhappy with the way we manage collection of rubbish in Albury.

I ran on a platform of reintroducing the hard waste collection and the weekly collection of red bins. I have faced serious opposition, particularly from the Greens Councillor Amanda Cohn during my regular attempts to introduce these measures. With the support of Crs Stuchbery, Mack, Van de Ven and King I was able to amend last year’s budget to allow for a charge of $5 for up to 200kg of household waste. 

My intent with this was to allow people in our community who were struggling with the fortnightly collection of household waste some relief. The change this year is that up to 100kg remains at $5 and above this is now the per kilogram rate. Previously there was a stepped charge to 500kg. I fully support this change as did all Councillors – 100kg is a fair bit of household garbage and $5 is an affordable rate for families . 

The $5 charge was never intended for commercial operations like Mr Adams who by his own admission collects garbage for a living. It is both fair and reasonable for Cleanaway, J B Richards and smaller operators like Mr Adams to pay the commercial rate.

I must take the strongest possible exception to Mr Adams histrionic claims (which are perhaps intended to liken Albury Council to Wodonga Council when it comes to recent controversial overcharges for garbage) when he says, “Like a thief in the night, so too is Albury Council trying to rob you”. These changes were on public display and out for comment from the community for five weeks. Nothing was done in secrecy or without due warning. Council did not receive a single comment nor submission or complaint during that five weeks on these proposed changes from anyone including Mr Adams.

I will continue to campaign for the reintroduction of a yearly hard waste collection and weekly red bin collections, regardless of the opposition I meet from Cr Cohn and others on Council. I hope in the near future to secure the required further votes to bring back what are, I believe, essential and basic services people are entitled to expect from their Council.

A charge of $5 for up to 100kg and the kilogram rate after is fair and reasonable and claims that Council are “thieves” is what is truly garbage. 

So Wodonga Council has decided to continue to rip us off by continuing to over charge us on our garbage disposal rate.

If mayor Anna Speedie is so sure this is what ratepayers want why not make it optional, and see how many wish to pay this extra. I am sure I can put the extra amount to better use than another piece of useless art somewhere. For too long this Council has treated us like fools, acting with complete lack integrity, honesty, and transparency and this has to stop. It is time the Council and the CEO were all sacked and administrators were appointed.