Earth moving contractor T&R Contracting’s Ryan Booth said he loses working hours because the dump does not open until 9am and is closed on Wednesdays.
It was also an issue for other local businesses, he said.
“People need to know it is an issue for us,” he said.
“From 4pm Tuesday to 9am on Thursday we cannot use the dump, so we miss out on work,” he said.
“One of my workers loaded up at 4pm on a Tuesday and the truck had to sit idle for nine hours on Wednesday and then another two hours on Thursday waiting for the dump to open. We need the dump every day.”
Mr Booth said the shire workers at the dump “copped it”, but the opening hours were not their fault.
“Collie is an industry-based town. The mining companies and power stations operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we’re restricted by at least one full day and limited times. It makes it hard.”
Mr Booth said trucks were often queued in the morning waiting for the dump to open.
A client refused to pay him recently because he was stuck sitting at the dump.
“He asked me why I took so long and he said he wasn’t paying me to do that, and I can’t blame him. I can’t charge him for that.”
Mr Booth said he would be writing a letter of complaint to the shire council. He and other business owners “had been at them for a while”.
“I believe that it should be open from 7am until 3pm,” he said.
Donnybrook business owner Nigel Tuia, who operates Hastie Waste, said he also found the hours inconvenient.
“I have always done a run to Collie on Wednesday and I am now having to change my whole system to fix it,” he said.
“That truck goes around the south-west and needs to empty on a Wednesday. So it is very inconvenient.”
Mr Tuia said he believed 9am was too late for a dump to open.
“They would be better opening early and closing early,” he said.
“I run the Donnybrook landfill site and you just can’t compare the two. Collie is an industry hub, and the world stops when you can’t get rid of your rubbish.”
Mr Tuia said he planned calling on the council to find out if the hours were permanent. If it was permanent he would have to move collections from customers to another day.
“I’m put in a bit of turmoil. I have to contact 100-plus customers to ask if it is convenient to change their day. Wherever I go I need the tip to be open.”
Collie Shire chief executive Jason Whiteaker said the dump’s hours were reviewed in 2011 in the context of community feedback.
“At that time the decision was made by council to extend the opening hours of the site for all days but close the site on Wednesdays.
“There is no intention at this stage to undertake a further review of the opening hours,” he said.
The Collie Transfer Station is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 9am to 5pm, closed Wednesdays and open 9am to 5pm Saturdays and Sundays.
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