mmg.com.au

An Echuca pensioner is concerned she will struggle to afford Campaspe Shire Council’s food and organic waste trial set to start next month.

Anna Thompson said paying the current $475.60 yearly fee for her waste and recycling bins was a great expense and worried about the additional costs of a third bin.

The shire, in conjunction with Goulburn Valley Regional Waste Management Group, Cleanway and Sustainable Kyabram, will roll out the organic trial in Kyabram from March 3.

The trial will involve the introduction of a third bin to collect food and organic waste.

Cr Greg Toll estimated the scheme could cost residents as much as $100 each year on their rates to fund the scheme — money Ms Thompson says she doesn’t have.

However council’s waste and environment co-ordinator Brian Holmes said costs were not yet known.

Cr Toll acknowledged additional charges, whatever they might be, could cause discomfort to the shire’s lower income earners and pensioners.

‘‘I can understand pensioners being worried... everytime they get out of bed there’s a new cost,’’ he said.

‘‘(But) I’m interested to wait and see the results.’’

Mr Holmes said with appropriate trials and research, there was a chance the cost of rubbish collection could be reduced through recycling of the organic waste.

‘‘There are a thousand different options to deal with it,’’ he said.

Cr Toll said residents need to understand the third bin was only a trial at this stage.

‘‘They mightn’t want the green waste (bin) and they don’t have to have it,’’ he said.

However, Ms Thompson already feels the system is not taking into account the amount of rubbish thrown-out by households.

‘‘I never get the bin full. They need to look at it differently... people pay for what they put in it,’’ she said.

She said she was not discounting the system, just the costs it could incur.

‘‘It’s a good system, I don’t attack that,’’ she said.

Cr Toll acknowledged there was potential for a user-pays system, but that it was still early days.

‘‘At the moment that hasn’t been thought through,’’ he said.

‘‘We might have to say to the government... (to) encourage pensioners they’ll need to be compensated.’’