SUAREZ QUESTIONS WHEELIE BIN CHARGES

SUAREZ QUESTIONS WHEELIE BIN CHARGES

Coolum Advertiser, 27 February 2020.

Division 9 candidate Maria Suarez is questioning council's practice of pulling profits out of its Waste Management Undertaking, apparently to prop up its 'game changing' mega projects.

"Council's Waste Management Business reported a profit of $10.098 million for 2018-19 on revenues of $66.126 million" Ms Suarez said.

"That's a profit margin of over 15 per cent, and it's been happening year after year and to me that indicates that the current Wheelie Bin charge of $298.60 for residents of Division 9 could well be excessive and needs review."

Ms Suarez further went on to say that the profits made from waste management services in northern divisions could be propping up big developments in the southern part of the council region such as the Airport and CBD expansion.

"I fail to see why residents should be overcharged for basic services like wheelie bins to prop up the supposedly visionary projects being pursued away in other parts of the shire - which are of no direct benefit to Division 9.

"We are certainly not seeing that money spent on increasing services - basic essential services like the wheelie bin should be charged and provided to residents at the very lowest price possible to cover the costs, otherwise council should improve our services by providing free garden waste bins to all residences and roadside collection of hard waste."

"A lot of the residents of Division 9 are battlers who struggle to pay for their basic essential services and they don't want to be paying extra so others can have a fancy new Airport or CBD which is of little use to them," Ms Suarez said.

Suarez said she was looking closely at the costs and pricing of rates and the other basic essential services being provided to Division 9 residents with a view to also ensuring they are fair and equitable.

If I am elected to represent Division 9 you can be assured that I will be working day in and day out to ensure that my constituents are getting a fair deal from council."