DEAR News Of The Area,

AT the last Council election, a newspaper headline read ‘STOP THE STINK’.

Councillors were elected but nothing stopped the stink.

In fact very little has happened over the past sixteen years to stop the stink.

Residents are now told of three waste management options.

All three are poor options:

1. Expand the tip by 3-4meters height (continuing the odour problem at Englands Road)

2. Build a new tip (this takes 5-8 years to license after land purchase)

3. Continue the $70,000 per week trucking of waste to other towns (from your rates)

Despite environmental fines, community and legal action ever since 2005, Council and Biomass still continue to finger point blame at each other and lag in their future planning.

The history of promises, betrayal, and ineptness from Biomass, together with the previous and current Councils, is sixteen years long and has literally cost ratepayers tens of millions of dollars.

Meanwhile we continue with a full landfill site and stinking waste operations.

The Council’s Sustainability Policy is due for renewal in September 2021.

Council elections may be around the same time.

The Biomass contract expires in 2025.

Sadly, it will be a long time before any change in the emission of offensive odours, even if Council members change, Council practices change, and a new contract for waste operations was to happen.

We HOPE they ALL will CHANGE.

Regretfully,

Sue SEATON,
Coffs Harbour.