Belconnen residents can continue to use their green waste facility as the government has granted a temporary extension for the site, which had been due to shut at the end of the month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ACT government decided to allow the temporary extension following community backlash, as residents said there was no proper alternative to the service run by Canberra Sand and Gravel.
The decision to close the site was initially flagged in 2018 and is part of the government's plan to rehabilitate all of west Belconnen's landfill sites.
More than 2000 people have signed a petition calling for the government to keep the Parkwood Road site open.
Canberra Sand and Gravel's licence has been extended while alternatives for green waste management in Canberra's north are identified.
City Services deputy director general Jim Corrigan said there was no firm timeline for the extension which would be looked at on a month-to-month basis.
He said work was underway to find a new site for a green waste drop-off facility in Canberra's north and it was hoped government would be briefed on options "within months not years".
"We are looking at how to manage landfill rehabilitation that leaves CSG on the site as long as possible," Mr Corrigan said.
READ MORE:
The CSG green waste facility will eventually need to be relocated so the West Belconnen Resource Management Centre can be remediated to make way for Ginninderry.
In a statement, the directorate said the decision would "ensure continuity" of green waste services while a long-term solution was found.
"In the meantime, the ACT government is in the process of identifying alternative sites for combined waste management of major waste streams on the northside."
The Opposition have hit back at the government's decision, labelling it a "band-aid solution, with no timeframe, and no certainty".
"I have listened to the community, and I have heard that they want the green waste recycling service to remain open for business," Liberal member for Ginninderra Peter Kain said.
"It is a shame its taken the ACT government so long to provide a temporary solution to the community."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram