A new $20 waste management levy introduced by Blayney Shire Council has been declared unfair by the deputy mayor, Councillor David Kingham.
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It’s not the concept of the fee that Cr Kingham objects to, it’s that the fee is per rates notice, not per ratepayer.
“A lot of farmers have different assessments, different lot numbers, then they’re going to be charged $20 each time,” he said.
“If it has a house or dwelling on it, well then it’s fair enough to charge them, but what can you take to the tip from a block that has no inhabitants?”
For those that may have an empty block of land next to their home, the extra fee is not charged if there is only one rates notice issued to the owner.
The Director of Planning and Environmental Services, Mark Dicker, said that the levy is an equitable way of funding the service.
“Everyone needs to contribute to waste management services and until this levy came into place not everybody was making an annual contribution to waste management services,” he said.
Mr Dicker acknowledged that the majority of those affected by multiple payments would be within the farmland category, and added that it’s up to the landowner to remedy their rates structures.
“If someone has five properties on five different rate assessments, well then they’re going to be hit with five different levies,” he said.
“But if you own five different properties on five different ownerships, and don’t amalgamate them for rating purposes, you’re doing it for the tax benefit and you can afford $20.”
The new levy though will allow residents to take an extended list of waste to the facility for free.
“Green waste, clean fill, electronic items, recyclables like bottles, carboard, light and heavy steel, cars, aluminium cans, plastic bottles we don’t charge for,” Mr Dicker said.