MANSFIELD Shire Council is joining calls to review Victoria’s planned glass recycling bin service, which involves significant extra costs for ratepayers across Victoria.
The state government has mandated that local governments implement the service by 1 July 2027.
But many local governments are advocating for a more cost-effective approach to better divert glass recycling from landfill.
Maroondah City Council pointed to research showing that the new glass recycling bin service would cost a typical council approximately $4 million to implement.
Mansfield Shire Council estimates the implementation cost for the shire to be over $760,000, and the ongoing cost per household to be nearly $50.
Latest Stories
The research also showed that expanding the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) to include wine and spirit bottles would have similar benefits to a glass recycling bin, less contamination and would remove the need for millions of dollars of implementation costs for councils.
At their meeting on 15 April, Mansfield Shire councillors resolved to support parts of Maroondah’s submission to the Municipal Association of Victoria’s 16 May State Council calling on the Victorian Government to review and amend the new waste services standards.
Council calls for the requirement to have a separate glass recycling service to be scrapped, given the CDS is successfully diverting most glass already.
Mayor Cr Steve Rabie disagreed with the blanket approach of mandating a glass recycling service (purple bin).
“This is another example of the Victorian Government piling new requirements onto councils and forcing them to use ratepayer’s money to make it all work,” he said.
“We don’t think a separate purple bin for glass is the best way to make it work for our community.
“The Container Deposit Scheme has been successful.
"We think expanding it is a good way to improve our recycling, and it’ll cost our ratepayers way less than another kerbside bin."
Council is also continuing to advocate against a new state government tax that would see rural communities in cost-shock with massive increases in taxes at rates time.
In March, Council wrote to members of the Legislative Council to ask them to vote ‘no’ on the Fire Services Property Amendment (Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund) Bill 2025.
The new levy was introduced by the state government without any consultation with communities or with local governments.
The funds will be added to rates notices and councils will be required to collect the funds on behalf of the state government.
For Mansfield Shire ratepayers, this new levy represents a significant increase.
Residential properties will see an average increase in the levy of 29 per cent.
Commercial properties will see an average increase of 63 per cent and most concerning is the impact on our primary producers, who face a staggering 197 per cent increase on last year’s levy.
Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said this was unfair on local governments and the regional and rural communities they represent.
“We don’t want to ask our communities to pay this unfair tax and we don’t want be the ones to collect it either,” he said.
“We wrote to those members of the Legislative Council who would be asked to vote on the bill and said we wanted the bill to undergo a review.
“Council is always engaging and listening to our communities and we want to be extended the same courtesy – just ask us.
"Ask our communities.
"We’ll tell you loud and clear – it is not the time for a tax grab that impacts our communities during a cost of living crisis.
“We absolutely support our local volunteers.
"Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that we’ll see a red cent of these funds in our community.
“What we know is that this ‘volunteer fund’ will actually go to funding government agencies that have always been funded by the state government.
"Yes, emergency services are important and we want to make sure they have the resources they need.
"On the other hand, what’s next?
"Are we then going to have to collect a tax for schools and hospitals?
“Every community member will be hit by this tax.
"We’ll pay more at rates time and we’ll pay more every time we go to the supermarket."
