LOGAN Village resident Andrew Bird says being charged $42 to dispose of five cubic metres of waste at the Logan Village transfer station is evidence of revenue creep.
Mr Bird refused to empty his load at the transfer station after being told he could dispose of the waste – consisting of three cubic metres of green waste and two cubic metres of general waste – at the Browns Plains tip for $12.
Charges at the Logan Village tip are based on cubic metres, while the Browns Plains facility has a weighbridge so charges are based on weight.
“I understand they have to move rubbish from a transfer station to landfill, but if this is what they are charging they are more than covering that cost,” Mr Bird said.
“Either I pay more at Logan Village or travel to Browns Plains, either way it costs me.
“Council is slowly trying to claw back more revenue.”
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Mr Bird, a student living on a low-income, said people might not be able to afford to use the service.
“Logan City Council say in their mission statement things like community first and empathy for the community and with decisions like this I wonder if this is reflective of council or if they are becoming more commercial.”
A council spokesperson said people with loads weighing less than 750 kilograms would get better value at a facilities with a weighbridge, such as Browns Plains or Carbrook.
“Sites with weighbridges can accurately report the mass of waste that has been deposited and apply the applicable disposal fee,” the spokesperson said.
“Sites that do not have weighbridges can only reasonably apply a volume-based fee.
“In most instances customers with large bulky loads that are not heavy are better off depositing the waste at a site where they can be weighed in and out and the applicable waste mass disposal rate applied.”
Like Logan Village, Greenbank and Beenleigh transfer stations do not have a weighbridge.
Providing proof of being a Logan resident and splitting general waste from recycling material can reduce costs of dumping.
Mr Bird asked whether the cost of waste disposal exacerbated the problem of illegal dumping.
“Driving around sometimes you see things dumped near the side of the road,” he said.
“I don’t know how people think but would they do this irrespective of the tip fee or is the fee leading to more illegal dumping?
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.”
The council spokesperson said they usually increased waste charges by 5 per cent a year.