Tatiara has 1,900 kilometres of roads. Of this, 466 kilometres are sealed, with the remaining 1,077 kilometres being unsealed rubble roads. Road building materials are diminishing, loads are increasing and many of these roads were not built to handle the large semis and B-doubles that use them today.
Council has recognised that it needs to gain a better knowledge of all its assets so it can better plan for the future.
CEO, Robert Harkness, said Council staff are undertaking a Step by Step Asset Management Program and Council has employed an additional qualified engineer so progress can increase in the asset management area.
“Long term asset and financial plans are being developed to ensure that Council is sustainable into the future,” he said.
Council currently operates three waste management depots, with all activities undertaken by contractors, including refuse pick up, dump management and recycling pickup.
“Consultant reports indicate that South Australian Councils should close many of their local refuse depots and cart rubbish to regional depots,” Robert Harkness said. “Tatiara is considering converting the Keith and Padthaway refuse depots to transfer stations with all waste to be transported to the Bordertown dump.
“We currently have a weekly general rubbish collection using 240 litre mobile garbage bins, and a fortnightly recycling collection using polypropylene bags. With current contracts due to expire, it is likely that Council will upgrade to a two bin system to encourage additional recycling with the aim to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill.”
