Sutherland Shire Council is agreeable to the Lucas Heights tip opening earlier, but not the operator’s proposal of 4am from Monday to Saturday.
The council, at its meeting on Monday night, decided to support a compromise opening time of 5am, Monday to Friday.
SUEZ (formerly SITA), which operates the Lucas Heights Resource Recovery Park, will still have to get approval from the state government.
Liberal councillor John Riad, who moved the motion at the council meeting, said he believed it was “a fair and reasonable compromise”.
Deputy Mayor Peter Scaysbrook said it would involve little change because, at present, garbage trucks from other areas were arriving at the tip at 5am and waiting an hour for the gates to open.
Independent Steve Simpson said 5am was “probably allowable because the people at Barden Ridge have to get up at this time to get across Alfords Point Bridge [before the traffic builds up]”.
Cr Simpson said the people who would be most affected by a 4am opening time were future residents of the new 133-lot estate, The Ridgeway, on New Illawarra Road, opposite The Ridge Sports Complex.
The Planning Committee had recommended, at this stage, the council not support the extension of trading at 4am until SUEZ proposed remedies that would address noise generation at those times along New Illawarra Road, Heathcote Road and Bangor Bypass.
