Tenterfield’s Violet Baker just wants to be able to restart her recycling operation – a facility that is supported by the vast majority of local residents – yet she has been stonewalled by the Tenterfield Shire Council.
The council closed down the facility located at the Tenterfield Waste Transfer Station without any notice, citing occupational health and safety reasons, as reported in the Southern Free Times in December.
Since this time, Mrs Baker has tried to get answers from the council on a number of occasions, yet she claims she has been ignored.
Only living off Centrelink payments, Mrs Baker is struggling to pay her bills as a result of the loss of income from her recycling business, and on top of this she is trying to cope with the death of her husband Warren last year. The lack of answers from the council is adding to her emotional burden.
Even before the facility had been closed down, she had written a letter to the council’s general manager Jim Gossage on August 18, citing her concerns with workplace conditions at the council-operated Tenterfield Waste Transfer Station.
“I wish to bring to your attention that Warren had asked for some protection from the weather at the cardboard press particularly from the westerly winds. Working conditions were made more difficult with the removal of the 20-foot container recently. As the council is supplying these facilities as part of our agreement I would ask for your urgent attention to this matter to bring the premises in line with normal working practice,” Mrs Baker wrote.
Months after sending this letter, she is still waiting for a reply from the council.
Mrs Baker’s letters to Mr Gossage on December 15, 2011 and January 4, 2012, have also gone unanswered at the time of print.
She cited her difficulties in obtaining public liability insurance, one of the conditions imposed by the council in order to restart her recycling operation, when the council had put a work safe stop notice on her business.
Mrs Baker also queried what assistance the council was going to offer her for the insurance of council equipment on council land.
“I’m hoping it (the recycling facility) will be running within the next couple of weeks but I don’t think so,” she said.
Mrs Baker is considering doing a petition after a number of local businesspeople asked her to do so.
Mr Gossage said the reopening of the recycling facility depended on Mrs Baker addressing the council’s concerns in relation to the business.
“We’re waiting for the person (Mrs Baker) to comply with the occupational health and safety issues we have,” he said.
Mr Gossage would not elaborate any further on this issue.
Keep an eye out in the Southern Free Times for updates to this story.
Story: Rebecca Brown
