Deputies seek to halt rise in black bag waste charge
AN AMENDMENT could stop a proposed increase in waste bills, which is due to come in next month.
It has been submitted by Deputy Gavin St Pier and seconded by Deputy Lyndon Trott.
From 1 July, the Guernsey Waste Authority has proposed that the cost of a standard size bag of household waste will rise from £2.70 to £2.92.
Guernsey Waste’s annual charge for 2022 will also increase from £90 in 2021 to £97.97 per household.
When waste charges were introduced in 2019, they were £85 per household and £2.50 for a standard black bag.
The two deputies said this was not the right time for the increase.
During the debate on a similar motion in December 2020, the Assembly was advised that Guernsey Waste had established an ‘Efficiency, Innovation and Pricing Committee’ with the intention that a policy letter would be brought to consider the whole pricing model. No policy letter has yet been lodged.
‘Until the States have had sight of and debated the anticipated policy letter on reforming waste charges, and in the midst of the ongoing spike in cost of living, now is not the time to further increase the burden on Guernsey households, which will disproportionately affect those individuals and households least able to bear the increase,’ the two deputies state in their amendment.
During 2021, Guernsey Waste’s operating deficit, before depreciation, was £606,000.
‘This is effectively underwritten by taxpayers by way a loan from States Treasury – amounting to £2.3m at 31 December 2021,’ the deputies said.
‘If the regulations are annulled, it is estimated that Guernsey Waste will receive £184,000 less income in 2022. This is approximately 4% of Guernsey Waste’s revenue received by way of these charges, which is not material to Guernsey Waste’s financial position.’
