The Visy Tumut Mill, which receives and processes mixed paper from MRF, is unable to operate due to a lack of road access, a loss of plantation timber and woodchips.
Chief executive Declan Moore has confirmed that waste contractor Veolia has temporarily closed the facility because it is unable to send the material to Visy and a significant volume of material is already onsite in Echuca.
Veolia is required to maintain compliance with EPA stockpile guidelines, so it has decided to temporarily suspend processing.
“Veolia is currently monitoring the situation daily and as soon as practicable, the MRF will reopen and recycling will continue as normal,” Mr Moore said.
Campaspe Shire regulatory and community services general manager Paul McKenzie said despite the closure, council encourages the community to maintain good recycling habits as it expects processing to recommence soon.
“The situation is temporary and we anticipate business as usual soon; we're working with our contractor to identify contingencies,” Mr McKenzie said.
He said significant external factors meant the facility was already full and could not store recycling in the meantime.
“Local MRF capacity is sufficient for minor issues and must be consistent with EPA licence conditions,” Mr McKenzie said.
The facility receives recycling from seven councils, and more councils in Victoria are also impacted by the Visy situation.
Council has been advised the facility will be shut down for a few weeks.
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