Automatic Gates - Waste Services
Automated Gates at Waste Transfer Stations - Thangool, Jambin, Baralaba, Wowan, Theodore and Cracow
Automated gates will be in operation at unsupervised Waste Transfer Stations from 14th October 2024.
Automatic gates are being installed or upgraded at the Baralaba, Wowan, Jambin, Thangool, Theodore, and Cracow Waste Transfer Stations. These gates will be operated by an individual PIN CODE number that will be supplied to each residential property owner. Landlords will be responsible for passing this information on to their tenants.
At present the installation of the gates is being finalised and a period of testing the safe operation of the gates will occur.
From 15th July, access at Thangool, Jambin, Baralaba, Wowan, Theodore, and Cracow Waste Transfer Stations will be changing. Automatic gates will close these sites between 7pm and 5am daily.
Taroom, Biloela, Moura, and Banana Waste Transfer Stations will not be impacted by the new gates as they are supervised.
The PIN (Personal Identification Number) CODES will be sent out to ratepayers later in the year. Your personal PIN CODE will need to be used from 14th October for access to the Baralaba, Wowan, Jambin, Thangool Theodore, and Cracow Waste Transfer Stations.
The automatic gate system is necessary to primarily help prevent illegal dumping by non-residents of Banana Shire but will also reduce contamination of the different waste types at each Waste Transfer Station. The gate system will work in conjunction with the existing site cameras and will include the installation of additional cameras. Contamination of waste types prevents material from being recycled.
There is no foreseeable change to the current operations or opening times at the Biloela, Moura and Taroom manned Waste Transfer Stations.
Opening times will be as follows from 14th October 2024:
- Thangool - 7 days a week, 5am to 7pm
- Jambin - 7 days a week, 5am to 7pm
- Baralaba - 7 days a week, 5am to 7pm
- Wowan - 7 days a week, 5am to 7pm
- Theodore - 7 days a week, 5am to 7pm
- Cracow - 7 days a week, 5am to 7pm
Alternatively, should you need and additional information about automated security gates, please phone 4992 9500
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
PIN CODES will be issued via a letter to all Ratepayers in the Banana Shire. If you did not receive a letter and live in the effected areas please contact Council on 4992 9500
Just phone Banana Shire Council on 4992 9500 during business hours and we will let you know what your PIN and access code is after properly identifying yourself.
The PIN CODES have been sent to your landlord. Check with your landlord or real estate agent. If not, please call Council on 4992 9500.
Every automated gate has a UPS back up battery system in place. You just need to push the green button on the gate panel to exit the Waste Transfer Station. If this fails, each of the Waste Transfer Stations with an automated gate has also been fitted with an Emergency Gate.
Your PIN and Access Code will be unique for your property so you need to write it down so you don’t lose it. Keep it as a phone entry or phone calendar note or write it down and put in your wallet, purse, phone case or glove box.
There are four main reasons why Council decided that we needed to change how we manage our Waste Transfer Stations (WTS) and landfills.
- The automated gates will help facilitate our environmental management obligations to be met with regards to WTS and landfills.
- The Queensland Government introduced a waste levy in 2019 which has increased the costs of landfilling waste. As an example, the waste levy on commercial waste it is currently around $100/tonne and this adds more than $500k to the annual cost of waste management.
- Banana Shire has a high incidence of people from outside our region coming to our WTS to dump rubbish. It is unfair on ratepayers to have to fund the landfilling of non-residents rubbish.
- Since CoVid 2020, there has been an increased number of illegal dumping incidents at our WTS, primarily regulated waste materials such as asbestos which needs to be appropriately wrapped or bagged and taken to Trap Gully landfilled. The cost of illegal dumping of asbestos costs ratepayers up to $40,000 per incident to clean up.
Yes, Council had considered several alternatives before deciding on the automatic gates.
The alternative to the automated gates for Thangool, Jambin, Baralaba, Cowan, Wowan and Theodore was to only open these WTS for two to three days per week. However, it was ultimately deemed unsuitable as it would restrict access for the majority of residents, unfairly impacting them due to the poor practices of a few. Hence, the decision to implement automatic gates across these sites to maintain daily access while controlling misuse.
Although, this would have allowed Council to run the facilities with increased resource recovery and fewer incidents, we would also have been punishing the majority of residents because of the illegal dumping and poor resource recovery habits of only a small minority.
No, you must not leave your rubbish outside the gates of any Waste Transfer Station. The stations are equipped with surveillance cameras that monitor the area. If you are caught leaving rubbish outside, you will be subject to fines for illegal dumping. It is important to properly dispose of your waste inside the WTS to avoid penalties and contribute to a cleaner environment.
No. If your mate illegally dumps asbestos at the Waste Transfer Station, you could be issued with a fine. Guard your PIN and access code as closely as you would your ATM banking PIN.
Your PIN and access code combination can be used at all the below Waste Transfer Stations which are all fitted with automated gates:
- Cracow
- Theodore
- Jambin
- Baralaba
- Wowan
- Thangool
Yes. All of the below Waste Transfer Stations will continue to be staffed:
- Biloela
- Moura
- Taroom
Property owners who live outside the Banana Shire, who are not ratepayers ideally should be using the facilities that they find in the local government area in which they live. On application and payment of a fee, Banana Shire Council will consider issuing a PIN and access code to people living within close proximity of Banana Shire and who can demonstrate they are members of our community.