Rates & spending · Ballina Shire Council
Waste assistance rules to go on exhibition for Ballina community groups
Amended policies covering donations of waste disposal fees and support for resource recovery initiatives will be open for public comment, but the available resolutions do not state the assistance limits or eligibility rules.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Ballina Shire community groups seeking help with waste costs or resource recovery projects will be able to comment on two amended assistance policies before the process is complete.
The policies cover donations of waste disposal fees to not-for-profit groups and donations supporting community resource recovery initiatives. Both were adopted and will be placed on public exhibition, with submissions to be returned to Council. If no submissions are received, the resolutions state that no further action is required.
The resolutions do not disclose how the amendments change eligibility, how applications will be assessed or the value of assistance available. They also do not identify any recipient, funding allocation or start date. Those details are therefore not established by the public resolutions.
The waste-disposal policy was adopted under resolution 221026/24. The separate resource-recovery policy was adopted under resolution 221026/25. The recorded vote following the two items was unanimous.
The public exhibition is the next stated step. It provides an opportunity for not-for-profit organisations and community groups to examine the amended policies and raise concerns, although the material available for this report does not give exhibition dates or identify where submissions will be lodged.
The policies create an administrative framework for possible assistance rather than approving a specific payment or grant. Whether an organisation can benefit will depend on the provisions of the amended policies and any subsequent process after public comment.
What deserves a closer look
The resolutions establish adoption and public exhibition, but do not state the amended eligibility criteria, assistance limits, application process, funding allocation, recipient or exhibition dates.
The policies are frameworks for possible assistance, not resolutions approving a named payment or grant.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What eligibility criteria and assistance limits are contained in each amended policy?
When will each public exhibition open and close, and where will the documents and submission details be published?
Will an application be required, and what information must organisations provide?
Will submissions trigger a further report or changes to either policy?
What happens next
Place the amended Donations - Waste Disposal Fees for Not-for-Profit Groups Policy on public exhibition and return submissions to Council; if none are received, no further action is required.
Place the amended Community Resource Recovery Initiatives Policy on public exhibition and return submissions to Council; if none are received, no further action is required.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The amended policy covering waste disposal fee donations to not-for-profit groups was adopted.
FOR VOTE - All Councillors voted unanimously. 10.2 Policy (Review) - Donations - Waste Disposal Fees Not-for-Profit Groups 221026/24 RESOLVED (Cr Kiri Dicker/Cr Simon Chate) 1. That Council adopts the amended Donations - Waste Disposal Fees for Not-for-Profit Groups Policy, as per Attachment 1 to this report.
Item 10.2, resolution 221026/24
Open original minutes ↗The waste-disposal policy is to be placed on exhibition, with submissions returned to Council and no further action if none are received.
MAYOR 2. That Council place this policy on exhibition for public comment, with any submissions received to be resubmitted back to Council. If no submissions are received then no further action is required.
Item 10.2, resolution 221026/24
Open original minutes ↗The amended policy covering donations for community resource recovery initiatives was adopted.
FOR VOTE - All Councillors voted unanimously. 10.3 Policy (Review) - Donations - Community Resource Recovery Initiatives 221026/25 RESOLVED (Cr Damian Loone/Cr Simon Chate) 1. That Council adopts the amended Policy (Review) - Donations - Community Resource Recovery Initiatives Policy, as attached to this report.
Item 10.3, resolution 221026/25
Open original minutes ↗The resource-recovery policy is to be placed on exhibition, with submissions returned to Council and no further action if none are received.
2. That Council place this policy on exhibition for public comment, with any submissions received to be resubmitted back to Council. If no submissions are received then no further action is required.
Item 10.3, resolution 221026/25
Open original minutes ↗The vote recorded after the two policy items was unanimous.
FOR VOTE - All Councillors voted unanimously. 10.4 Policy (Review) - Grazing on Road Reserves 221026/26 RESOLVED (Cr Simon Chate/Cr Eva Ramsey) 1. That Council adopts the Grazing on Road Reserves Policy, as per Attachment 1 to this report.
Following resolution 221026/25
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Ballina Shire Council, Council meeting of 22 October 2026, as reported in the council's public minutes.
Key facts from the minutes
- Council adopted an amended Donations - Waste Disposal Fees for Not-for-Profit Groups Policy under resolution 221026/24.
- Council adopted an amended Donations - Community Resource Recovery Initiatives Policy under resolution 221026/25.
- Both policies will be placed on public exhibition for comment.
- Submissions received are to be resubmitted to Council; if none are received, the resolutions say no further action is required.
- The resolutions record unanimous votes for both policies.
Why it matters
- Not-for-profit organisations and community groups may be able to seek waste-related assistance under the amended policies, but the public resolutions do not establish the eligibility rules, assistance limits or application process.