RUBBISH rates could go up by 10 per cent each year as Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) prepares to change the way residents chuck out kitchen waste.
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The council has entered into a new waste disposal contract in the assumption a $15 million Organic Waste Recycling Facility will go ahead.
If it does, residents will have to separate food waste from general rubbish in the green bin from as soon as July 2022, TRC water and waste director Bruce Logan said.
"At the moment we believe we have about 25 to 30 years of life left in our landfill, if we can get the organics recycling facility and remove the organics we put in our landfill it will significantly increase the life of our landfill," he said.
"The cost of dealing with waste and recycling continues to increase and we need to make sure that we have sufficient money available in council reserves to pay for improvements at our various waste stations.
"I don't think anyone likes to see charges increase, but people need to take into account that the fees haven't been increased by a significant amount in some years."
The Organics Waste Recycling Facility has been given the green light with conditions by the Northern Regional Planning Panel.
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The proposed changes to fees would see annual waste service rates increase by about $30, as well as an increase in some gate fees for disposal at landfills across the region.
At the moment people in Tamworth pay around $322 each year for waste disposal services.
The gate fees for the disposal of hazardous materials like asbestos are proposed to decrease.
All the income generated by waste charges is put back into the operation, management and capital improvement of waste infrastructure.
The proposed changes are open to community feedback until May 31.
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