Victoria, Australia, Denies Specific Sites Access to SKM Bailout

Landowners in Victoria, Australia, who have been storing waste on behalf of defunct SKM Recycling have been told they will not receive assistance from a multimillion-dollar government bailout.

Earlier this week, the Victorian government announced a $10 million bailout to help pay for repairs and maintenance on machines at four sorting sites to prevent refuse going to landfill. SKM, which went into debt and stopped collecting materials from more than 30 area councils, had been storing tens of thousands of tonnes of waste at five warehouses and also had large piles in other locations.

According to the latest report from The Guardian, the government loan is aimed at helping clear up stockpiles and to get SKM’s plants up and running. However, for the estimated 60,000 tonnes of rubbish across several sites rented by SKM, the state has told landowners they will have to deal with disposal themselves.

The Guardian has more:

Companies holding tens of thousands of tonnes of waste on behalf of recycling group SKM have been told they will not receive any assistance from a multimillion-dollar state government loan aimed at helping clean up SKM sites, and say the material they are holding may end up in landfill.

This week, the Victorian government announced a $10m loan to receivers KordaMentha to “help clean up SKM sites and resume waste processing”.

The loan is aimed at helping clear up stockpiles and to get SKM’s plants up and running. Laverton will be the first to resume processing next month, and Hallam, Geelong and Coolaroo are expected to follow.

Read the full article here.