Disabled staff from Elouera Association will need to look for other employment options after Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council this week voted to appoint new staff to manage the weighbridge at its Materials Recycling Centre (MRF).
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A recommendation that council take control of the weighbridge was passed at this week's meeting after defeat of an amendment put forward by Cr Dennis Palmer and seconded by Cr Gil Kelly that Council not take over management of the weighbridge.
Cr Palmer's amendment was supported by councillors Kelly, McAlister and Stewart.
Councillors Bowden, Phillips, Graham, Sheahan and Nicholson voted against the amendment.
"I'm totally against employing anymore council staff to operate the weighbridge," Cr Palmer told the meeting.
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Senior council staff believe the weighbridge must be solely managed by Council to ensure revenue projections are able to be achieved and for compliance required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), councillors were told.
"If there is an identified problem with the current operation, can't we write that into the new tender document so that there is no problem? Cr Palmer asked.
"Council's long term financial situation is not good and one of the major implications is employee costs.
"I'd like to move an amendment that Council not take over management of the weighbridge. I am strongly against increasing our staff numbers," he said.
Speaking in support of Elouera staff remaining at the facility Cr Gil Kelly said he believes they "perform a great job".
"There may be a few issues in relation to the EPA but that comes back to us to impart the regulations into the contract," he said.
"Now is the opportunity to write into the contract, it's a blank piece of paper."
Councillors were told the move to take over the weighbridge were more to do with council being in control of what comes in and what goes out of the MRF, potentially increasing its revenue streams.
Council general manager Phil McMurray said council would see if it could use "existing resources" in the roles instead of employing two new staff at a total cost of $140,000 a year.
Council resolved last year to adopt in principal a draft waste strategy and business plan review which included a new contract for the MRF.
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