Community
15 April, 2026
Tensions tip over: Bealiba won't lose transfer station without fight
“You want to go back to bare basics? This service is a basic need for us,” he said.
A CASH strapped council has coped the wrath of residents over plans to close an “essential service”.
A rowdy public meeting in Bealiba on Monday night rejected plans to close the town’s rubbish tip.
Central Goldfields Shire Council staff fielded a barrage of questions and backlash from residents as they made it clear closing the tips, which has been outlined as one cash saving move in their draft 2026/27 budget, was not an option.
Council chief executive Peter Harriott and Flynn Ward councillor Liesbeth Long attended the meeting and tried to assure residents they were listening to their concerns.
“You will see some sort of movement and compromise, but we need to take all this back and discuss it as a council,” Mr Harriott said.
“We usually get 70 submissions on a budget, this time we’ve had more than 150. You’ve made it clear what you think.”
But for the crowd, this wasn’t enough.
“We will hold you to task councillor,” one resident said. “We don’t want a compromise, we want the service we have now.”
Mr Harriott admitted council was in “dire straits” after years of “mismanagement” of money.
“This is a gnarly budget, but we’re stripping back to basics to fix this,” he said.
Tip worker and meeting organiser Warren ‘Wozza’ Giles responded: “You want to go back to bare basics? This service is a basic need for us,” he said.
Ex-transfer station worker Ian Lovel, who ran the Bealiba tip for 15 years, said this decision would have an affect on more than just the towns of Bealiba, Talbot and Dunolly.
“There are people in neighbouring councils who use the Bealiba station, they’re already travelling decent distances,” he said.
“This isn’t just about us, we need to think about everyone this is going to put pressure on. People are already paying a lot for to travel and use these services.”
Experienced petitioner David Hendrickson, who is fighting to keep VicRoads services in Maryborough, suggested a solution to price rises.
“We won’t pay for services we won’t get and I will be part paying my rates,” he said. Tensions boiled over when Mr Harriott threatened to walk out, saying there was “no control” of the meeting.
“We will answer in a civil environment... we won’t be attacked,” he said in response to heckles from the crowd.
Frustrations errupted when Cr Long cited support cuts from the State Government as reasoning for cash issues at council.
“So you’re cost shifting to your constituents?” Wozza asked.
The council's draft budget identified changes that would save it $3.2 million. Some of those changes included:
Reducing labour costs, increasing operational efficiency and prioritising resources to meet community needs
Ending the Community Grants Program
Selling surplus land
Proposed closure of the waste transfer stations at Bealiba, Dunolly and Talbot.
Residents raised concerns of environmental impacts, threats of dumping in the surrounding forest, suggested recycling and tip shop options to make more money and the stress this was putting on elderly people.
Council agreed to take the feedback to a meeting in the coming weeks.
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