The City of Launceston has officially opened the newly redeveloped Launceston Waste Centre, including new re-sale shop Uptipity.
Last year the Council embarked on a $1.8m redevelopment of Launceston’s waste transfer facility, one of the largest in the state, constructing the new re-sale shop, building a new recycling centre, relocating the gatehouse, and installing an additional weighbridge.
Uptipity is managed by City Mission, which was awarded the operations contract to run both the recycling centre and resale shop.
The Council will also unveil a plaque in remembrance of the late Deputy Mayor Jeremy Ball, who was a passionate advocate for the project.
Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the redevelopment of the facility would divert waste away from landfill.
“Since the closure of the Ecosalv re-use shop in Invermay several years ago, a good segment of the community has been crying out for a new re-use shop.
“People understand that as a society we can be extremely wasteful.
“The reality is that many perfectly good items are thrown into landfill purely because people don’t have the time or energy to put them to another purpose.
“And that costs money.
“Building a new landfill cell is a multi-million dollar exercise.
“If everything we consider to be waste goes straight into landfill, we will fill those cells up extremely quickly.
“It’s bad for the environment, and it’s bad for us economically.
“The resale shop and recycling centre has generated five full time equivalent positions and will hopefully create another four to five indirect positions.
“Jeremy Ball was a real advocate for this project, it was something he was very passionate about.
“He agitated for the City of Launceston to move in this direction, and he convinced his fellow Aldermen of the value of this course of action.
“I think it’s very fitting that we pause to remember him as we officially open this redevelopment.”
Mayor van Zetten said it was also pleasing to see the work City Mission had already undertaken in Uptipity, since it first began trading in December.
