General News
27 September, 2026
Waste station’s hours cut
CASSOWARY Coast Regional Council has officially launched a trial reducing operating hours at the Murray Upper Waste Transfer Station to just three hours a month – as escalating fuel prices and rising operational expenses force a re-evaluation of local waste services.
Following its last day of “regular trading” on Saturday, 29 August, the Middle Murray Road facility will transition to its new schedule on Sunday 20 September.
Under the trial, the station will open exclusively on the third Sunday of each month, from 1pm to 4pm. The move stems from an internal operational review highlighting a severe imbalance between the facility’s running costs and its actual revenue.
Council reports presented earlier this year revealed that the station cost $46,000 annually to operate while generating just $2380 in dump fees.
At $783 per tonne, Murray Upper represented the council’s most expensive waste disposal site by a wide margin – dwarfing costs at main transfer stations hubs like Stoters Hill ($74 per tonne), Tully ($154 per tonne) and Cardwell ($198 per tonne).
The Murray Upper facility had until 29 August been operating three hours a week on Saturdays only.
While council officers originally recommended a complete six-month closure to curb unnecessary operational expenditure, an amended motion put forward by Councillor Chris Littlemore was ultimately carried to preserve limited local access rather than shutting the site entirely.
Mayor Teresa Millwood said that the confirmed trial aligned with the region’s resource recovery and waste strategy 2026–2030, balancing fiscal responsibility with community needs. She said council was trialling the changes before making a final decision on the transfer station.
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