Murrindindi Shire Council is disappointed that fire-impacted residents will now need to pay gate fees to dispose of bushfire debris at Council Resource Recovery Centres, following the end of the free waste disposal program.
While the State Government has waived the EPA levy for eligible bushfire waste, residents will now be required to pay a gate fee, which covers Council's costs to operate the service, including staffing, handling, transport and disposal. The Domestic Bushfire Waste gate fee of $47.32 now applies.
Council has been advocating for the free waste disposal program to be extended until 30 June 2027, to give residents more time to safely clear homes, sheds, fallen trees and fire-damaged vegetation.
Mayor of Murrindindi Shire, Cr Damien Gallagher, said Council welcomed the EPA levy waiver but remained concerned that residents would still face out-of-pocket costs during recovery.
"Waiving the EPA levy is a positive step, but it does not make waste disposal free for our residents," Cr Gallagher said.
"People who have lost homes, sheds, fences, trees and vegetation are now being asked to pay gate fees to continue cleaning up after a disaster they did not ask for.
"Six months is simply not long enough for many residents to complete this work, particularly when clean-up involves not only homes, but sheds, outbuildings, fallen trees and large amounts of fire-damaged vegetation."
The free bushfire recovery waste disposal program at Council facilities has provided important practical support for fire-impacted residents as they work through the long and difficult process of clearing their properties.
Council says many residents are still only beginning, or are yet to begin, the full clean-up process because of access issues, insurance processes, safety concerns, housing pressures and delays in broader recovery programs.
More than 280 Murrindindi property owners registered for the State Government's on-site clean-up program; however, almost two thirds are ineligible and have had to make their own arrangements, placing greater pressure on Council facilities and on households already carrying significant recovery costs
Cr Gallagher said Murrindindi residents deserved the same level of post-disaster support provided to other Victorian communities.
"We will continue to advocate for our residents to receive fair and practical support that reflects the scale of what has happened here," Cr Gallagher said.
"For many families, recovery is still underway. The clean-up effort did not end on 30 June, and neither should the support that helps make that recovery possible."
"Communities affected by disaster should be able to access support for as long as it is genuinely needed, particularly where recovery timeframes are beyond residents' control."
By the end of June 2026, Council expects to have received about 14,000 tonnes of bushfire debris at its landfill - equivalent to around seven years' worth of landfill in just a few months, placing significant and unplanned pressure on local infrastructure and resources.
