From Monday, August 22, the council's rural waste transfer stations will accept household waste, household recycling and scrap metal only. Bulky waste items such as old sofas, wardrobes and tyres for example will not be accepted as part of general operations.

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Environment and planning director, Alex Waldron, explained that changes and tightening of environmental legislation forced the council to change its operations and cease landfilling waste.

Landfills have been closed in the Upper Lachlan since 2018 and transfer stations were put in place. As a result, all waste from Upper Lachlan Shire is now transferred out of the Shire to the Woodlawn waste facility.

"This is a huge cost to the Upper Lachlan community and further double handling and haulage of waste from one site to another makes this service in its current form both environmentally and financially unsustainable," she said.

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"The reality is, if processes are not changed, the council would need to charge hundreds of dollars per cubic metre to cover our haulage, machinery, handling, further haulage and landfilling costs and no one wants to see that happen."

To assist residents dispose of their bulky goods waste the council will provide a service for bulky waste and run two amnesty days at each of the rural waste transfer stations at Taralga, Gunning, Collector, and Bigga where this type of waste will be accepted free of charge. The first bulky waste amnesty day is planned around Clean up Australia Day.

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Bulky waste items will continue to be accepted at the Crookwell waste transfer station on all days of operation. The costs to dispose of these items will continue to be charged per cubic metre. A copy of the council's fees and charges is available on the council's website or at the waste management centres.

The various fees for different waste types including excess waste has existed for several years. A spokesman said as waste disposal has become a user pays /fee for service, the council had to implement the most efficient method possible as it had stopped landfilling material.

Signs advising of the changes will be erected at each of the waste transfer stations. The changes to the service will be reviewed after 12 months, as per the council resolution.

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