Waste charge fight

By Ed Merrison
RETIREMENT villages led the way in denouncing Knox City Council’s proposed waste disposal charge at a budget submissions hearing last week.
The $116 garbage charge, a key component of the draft budget, was branded unfair, unjust and ‘a kick in the guts’ for pensioners at the hearing on Wednesday, 14 June.
It was also responsible for generating a record number of written responses, with 160 out of 195 submissions to the council’s Proposed Budget 2006-07 opposing its introduction.
Only three submissions supported the charge.
Five out of the 11 presentations made to the committee of councillors and officers at the hearing came from retirement villages.
Just two weeks earlier, councillors had already tabled petitions with more than 500 signatures protesting against projected rate increases of 41.6 per cent for retirement villages across the municipality.
Wantirna Retirement Village residents committee chairman Trevor McPhee said although it was impossible to know how badly individual pensioners would be hurt by the charge, it would mean a reduction in their standard of living.
Despite Knox mayor David Cooper’s insistence that the budget was not a fait accompli, Mr McPhee did not expect to see a reversal in council thinking ahead of final budget recommendations due to be voted on at a meeting on Tuesday, 27 June.
“Maybe I’m a bit pessimistic, but I think they’ve already struck their budget and they know exactly how much they want,” Mr McPhee said.
Council director of corporate development Mick Jaensch said most, but not all, of the concern about the waste charge had come from retirement villages.
“Council welcomes the amount of community feedback on the proposed budget and applauds the efforts of those who prepared written submissions and made presentations.
“Council is committed to listening to the community and is considering all submissions lodged,” he said.
Dobson Ward councillor Karin Orpen, who is one of three councillors to oppose the introduction of the waste charge, said she was not surprised at the level of community opposition.
“There was very much a sense that waste is probably the most fundamental and visible service the council provides and people felt very strongly that it shouldn’t be subject to a fee for service. It’s a fundamental right,” she said.
Cr Orpen said it was fraught with danger to isolate particular services and charge for them outside the rates system.
“To propose a waste charge is a conscious decision to change who pays what, and that’s what I object to.
“I would hope (the councillors) have taken on board the community feeling and will vote in accordance with their judgment,” she said.