Plett waste causes stink
Bitou waste management is causing a stink in Plettenberg Bay with equipment shortages and the lack of funds.
According to the latest waste management report, there was a build-up of domestic waste at the town’s transfer station during April.
While it has since been removed, the facility is still experiencing equipment availability problems.
The municipality’s front-end loader, used at the transfer station, is not operational as it needs a new set of tyres. The municipality has been able to hire a suitable front-end loader to handle the accumulated waste in the meantime.
Green waste has also caused issues for the municipality. According to the report, a shortage of funds has prevented the hire of a chipper to handle the green waste at the transfer station, which has been accumulating since the local landfill site was closed in December.
This accumulated green waste is reaching the point where the transfer station could be in breach of its temporary permit allowing the handling and chipping of green waste.
A chipper was hired earlier this year at a cost of about R160 000 for one month. The purchase of a new chipper could cost about R800 000.
Over the past year, lack of equipment availability has plagued the town as a result of supply chain and fleet management problems and has led to the frequent hiring of equipment to handle waste problems, in particular, compactor trucks and skips. Because of this, the waste management department has spent more than R820 000 on equipment hire during the current financial year.
Bulky waste is also another problem and is expected to continue to be until the new regional landfill site is brought into operation towards the end of this year.
According to the Plettenberg Bay Ratepayers Association, the alternative would be to continue to transport it to the Oudtshoorn landfill site.
The association said that the Bitou Municipality had however not settled their outstanding payments in terms of previous shipments of the bulky waste and therefore the Oudtshoorn Municipality has placed an embargo on all waste shipments from Bitou until the debt has been settled.
The Bitou Municipality did not respond to enquiries around the issues before going to print.
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News