Have your say on the Gracemere WTS opening hours

Published on 30 August 2022

Council is inviting residents in Gracemere and surrounding areas to have their say on the Gracemere Waste Transfer Station (WTS) operating hours.

Waste and Recycling Councillor Shane Latcham said the operating hours of the WTS changed in February 2021, and Council is seeking the community’s feedback on if these hours are working or not.

“We made the decision to reduce opening hours when our Waste Transfer Station was at its quietest in order to balance customer demand with operational efficiencies,” Cr Latcham said.

“Reductions are never easy to make, but based on the data available we believed these changes would have the least impact on residents of the options available.

“Now that the new operating hours have been in effect for a year we would like to hear from the community.

“We want to know if the current hours are working for you, or if you would like us to trial a different option.

“While unfortunately we aren’t able to revert to the old hours – as a local government we have a responsibility to ensure that we’re operating as efficiently as possible – there is certainly room for adjustments. 

“We’ve outlined a few alternatives on Council’s engagement portal, so head over and have your say on which option would suit you.”

Division 4 Councillor Ellen Smith encouraged all residents who use the Gracemere Waste Transfer Station to have their say.

“Since these changes were brought in last year I’ve heard from a few people in the community that they’re finding it harder to get to the Waste Transfer Station during the hours that it’s open,” Cr Smith said. 

“We’ve outlined a few different options that should hopefully address this, and we want to hear from you on whether you would like to move to one of these options or keep the hours the same.

“It’s essential we provide a great service that is convenient for all residents, and getting your feedback will help us to do this.”

The survey will be open until Tuesday, 27 September. Residents can complete the survey via: https://engage.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/gracemere-wts or come along to Gracemere Shoppingworld on Friday, 9 September for more information and to complete the survey.

The current operating hours for the Gracemere Waste Station are:
Sunday to Friday - 9am to 3pm
Saturday - 9am to 5pm

Options being proposed include:

Option 1:           Status Quo – current operational hours of service remain unchanged.

Option 2:           Reduced days of operation:
                             Monday, Wednesday, Friday 7am – 5pm
                             Saturday 7am – 3pm
                             Sunday 7am – 1pm

Option 3:            Alternating early and late hours
                             Monday, Wednesday, Friday 7am – 1pm
                             Tuesday, Thursday 11am – 5pm
                             Saturday 7am – 3pm
                             Sunday 7am – 1pm

Option 4:            Reduced Weekend Hours
                             Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm
                             Saturday – Sunday 9am – 12pm