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Waste Charges FAQs

The Rural Waste Management Charge is the contribution rural ratepayers make towards the running costs of operating the waste management facilities. It is not for kerbside collection. By law all waste must be taken to a waste facility and must not be land-filled on rural properties.
Residents that pay for and receive a kerbside waste collection service are also charged for additional waste they generate and drop off at waste management facilities. 

 

For the most part, the Waterfall Way Landfill cannot accept waste directly to the site for burial. All waste generated in the Local Government Area must be transported to the existing Long Swamp Road landfill where it will be subjected to a waste sorting process to maximise waste diversion, recycling and reuse principals.
The conditions imposed through the new landfill approval process effectively mean Council is duplicating some costs and paying for increased environmental, sorting and waste transport costs as per licence conditions.
 

The Regional Landfill Levy is being charged in your rates assessment to pay for the loan to acquire and construct the new Regional Landfill on Waterfall Way. The capital cost is over $12 million. All landfill waste in the Local Government Area will go to the Waterfall Way facility.

From the early 1990’s, it became apparent that the existing landfill at Long Swamp Road in Armidale would reach capacity early in the 21st century. It is now 2022, and the existing landfill cells at Long Swamp Road in Armidale are nearing capacity. The decision was made by previous councils to build a new landfill on a site 12 kms east of Armidale that would be a landfill only and not open to the public. This would leave existing waste services infrastructure for sorting, recycling and processing organics within easy access to the Armidale community. Environmental issues with the existing landfill in Guyra requires extensive rehabilitation and for many years Guyra’s waste was taken to Tingha and is now being processed at the Long Swamp Road landfill. Along with Armidale, Guyra’s waste will now be taken to the new landfill on Waterfall Way after it has been subjected to a sorting process at Long Swamp Road and reloaded for transport to the new landfill.

There is no landfill in Guyra. The facility at Everett Street Guyra is a waste transfer station and cannot operate as a landfill. Unfortunately, previous landfilling activities at the Guyra Waste Management Facility resulted in the site being assessed by NSW EPA as a safety and environmental risk to the area.

Approximately 40 sites were assessed by the former Armidale Dumaresq Council and EPA. This was then narrowed down to 12 options. The Waterfall Way Landfill site was most appropriate in meeting criteria guidelines, has the least impact on the community and has the capacity to accept waste for decades.

Guyra rural residents are paying less than urban ratepayers are paying for waste management. Ratepayers who can access a kerbside collection service pay an additional charge for this service. Rural ratepayers who cannot access a kerbside collection do not. All ratepayers need to be charged a fair and equitable charge for the services provided. This increase for Guyra residents reflects the eventual harmonising to the same level that Armidale rural ratepayers are paying (from 2023/24). This will ensure that Council can continue to provide a quality waste service and recover costs to provide this service to the community.