Wyndham council has rejected claims that it misled the community about the true value of the Wests Road landfill in the municipality’s budget.
The Western Region Environment Centre has accused the council of leading residents to believe that the Werribee tip added close to $30 million a year to the council’s coffers.
WREC director Harry van Moorst said councillors and staff had stated that the tip earned $29.3 million in 2012-13, but had not clarified whether the figure was before or after operating costs had been deducted.
Mr van Moorst said the landfill’s profits were $14.8 million in 2012-13.
“We have been fed some very misleading statements about the supposed profits that the tip makes,” he said.
But the council insists it never misled the public. Chief executive Kerry Thompson said the $29.3 million figure was revenue from external tipping fees, before operating costs.
“The figure of $14.8 million is the estimated profit … this is the total amount of revenue after expenses such as operating costs.”
Mr van Moorst maintained the council should have been clearer about the tip’s actual profits.
“We know that the income is much higher than the profits. But like other businesses, they should have made it clear what the actual profit was,” he said.
“What they have been saying is the income benefit to the community was $29.3 million per year.
‘‘Technically, it may be true, because it earned that much. But the actual figures show the profit is less and so [the] benefit to the community is less.”
THE STORY SO FAR
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VCAT ruling raises ‘no appeal’ fears
Council under gun for tip response
