General News
7 June, 2026
Cuts to depot’s hours
WITH higher fuel costs and supply uncertainty still prevailing, Cassowary Coast Regional Council has looked closely at the economics of its waste transfer stations and will substantially cut the opening hours – at least temporarily – of one of its smallest, most remote stations.
A report to council’s May meeting last week had proposed the Murray Upper waste transfer station be closed at least until 31 December this year “due to very low utilisation and increasing operational costs.”
One of the main concerns with the Middle Murray Road facility – which operates three hours a week on Saturdays only – was its low revenue versus high operating costs ratio.
The council report said this amounted to $46,000 in operating costs for the transfer station in a financial year compared to just $2380 in dump fees generated.
“The proposed closure responds to escalating waste and resource recovery costs, particularly fuel and servicing costs, and would allow council to redirect resources to higher-use facilities,” the report said.
“These increases are not isolated to Murray Upper, but are being felt across the entire waste network,” it continued.
“Residents will continue to have access to the nearby Cardwell and Tully waste transfer stations, which offer greater operating hours and capacity.”
But while staff recommended a complete closure of the station for six months, Councillor Chris Littlemore put forward an amended motion at the meeting – which was carried – that Murray Upper station’s opening times be reduced to just three hours a month.
From the likely change date of 1 July, the new hours will be on the third Sunday of each month only, from 1pm to 4pm.
If the one Sunday per month at Murray Upper doesn’t suit, ratepayers and other transfer station users in not only Murray Upper itself, but also other nearby areas including Murrigal, Euramo and Carruchan, will have to take their waste further away to council transfer stations at Cardwell or Tully.
On the upside, those two stations have greater operating hours and capacity.
“Given the low number of users currently accessing Murray Upper, the additional demand on neighbouring facilities is expected to be manageable,” the report says.
“These alternative sites provide a more efficient service model and are better placed to absorb the limited additional volumes that may result from the trial closure.”
In the meeting report, council included a comparative table across all of its waste transfer facilities, with Murray Upper showing the highest cost by far of waste disposal – at $783 per tonne, compared with just $74 per tonne at its Stoters Hill facility.
The disposal costs per tonne at council’s Tully and Cardwell transfer stations are $154 and $198 respectively, still significantly lower than at Murray Upper.
“In this environment, council has a responsibility to identify practical opportunities to reduce unnecessary operational expenditure, especially at low-use sites where the cost of maintaining the service is disproportionate to the level of community use,” it reasoned.
Council says a communications plan will be developed to provide advance notice to the community prior to implementing the reduction of hours, to include the outlining of reasons for the scaling back, information about alternative waste transfer stations, and signage and educational materials directing residents to other facilities.
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