Community News - providing readers with the very latest in local news, sport, entertainment and more.
Camera IconCommunity News - providing readers with the very latest in local news, sport, entertainment and more. Credit: Community News

Negotiations set to resume

Liam Ducey, Stirling TimesStirling Times

The regional council decided in May to start urgent talks to retain Stirling as a member, three years after the City voted to withdraw from the council.

At the July 4 meeting of the MRC, chairman Russ Fishwick moved a motion to reduce the waste management council’s gate fee from $149 per tonne to $122 as an incentive for Stirling to remain a member, with a further reduction open for negotiation.

That motion was carried, 8-3, with Stirling representatives councillors David Boothman, Sharon Cooke and Jason Robbins opposing the motion.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

The council’s decision stated that the MRC would increase any negotiated fee below $122 over several years until it reached parity with the other member councils ” the cities of Joondalup, Wanneroo, Perth and Vincent, and towns of Cambridge and Victoria Park.

It also assumed that Stirling council would commit to tip all its non-recycled waste, a minimum of 73,000 tonnes, through the regional council and that legislative costs that were outside the control of the waste council would be passed on.

At the City of Stirling council meeting last week, Stirling unanimously voted to enter into negotiations with the MRC and Mayor Boothman confirmed the City had now officially changed its stance.

‘The reason we voted against the motion at the July 4 meeting was because the City of Stirling’s official stance was that we were withdrawing,’ he said.

‘With the decision at council last week, that position has changed and there is every possibility we could stop our withdrawal process, if we can get a deal that is not too disadvantageous to our ratepayers.’