RANUI HARMER
Redland City Council announced they allocated $278,000 in this year’s RedWaste budget to add an extra lane near the Birkdale dump.
The new road will allow cars with only green waste to bypass the weighbridge at peak hours to avoid long queues and traffic jams.
A report released claimed demand for tipping green waste was on the rise, especially on weekends.
As a result, those with residential passes will be able to dump green waste without having to wait in a queue for the weighbridge.
The report stated traffic jams and delays at the tip were caused by the lack of bins near the gatehouse and only one weighbridge.
Councillors voted unanimously to spend the money, knocking back costly plans to build a one-way road, a second gatehouse and boom gate along with a $750,000 plan for weighbridges, bypass lanes and license plate cameras.
Local and frequent dump user Liam Hastings saidreducing waiting times and traffic should be a priority.
“On weekends and public holidays the queue can be really long and you can be waiting anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes just to get past the weighbridge,” Mr Hastings said.
“Then once you get in if it’s busy there’s so many cars and trucks it can be a nightmare.
“Council scrapped the tip fees a couple years ago which was great but there’s some talk of bringing it back now.”
However Mayor Karen Williams has assured the Redlands she has no intention of reinstating gate tip fees unless the majority of residents want them to be reintroduced.