Cutting tip vouchers is not a waste policy

The decision of Derwent Valley Council to cease issuing tip vouchers to ratepayers failed to recognise the growing issue of illegal dumping — costing taxpayers and the environment.

It’s about time solutions were discussed instead of blaming costs for cuts. We need action and leadership instead of the blame game.

Many are upset, and rightly so. Let’s take this opportunity to look at what we can actually achieve. A waste-to-energy plant on the Copenhagen model is still the long-term answer for Tasmania. In the meantime, landholders who manage waste on their own land should be reimbursed, and a live tip-status page should tell people when the gate is open.

If you make it expensive to do the right thing, people dump in a culvert. That is not a mystery. It is a choice.