The local tip has been closed since a fire in August, leaving residents to cart their rubbish to neighbouring rubbish tips.

Wirrinya resident Wendy Chudleigh says one of the main issues is the limited hours that neighbouring Garema tip is open: just 9am to midday Wednesday and 1-4pm Sunday.

“My question to people in town would be, how would you like to put your rubbish in your car and drive it to Parkes between those hours?” she said.

“If we can’t do it within those hours, we have to drive it to the other side of Forbes or to Caragabal.”

Forbes Shire Council’s general manager Brian Steffen said tip users should receive a letter outlining their options for its future soon.

The tip was closed as a result of council resolution after the fire and its future is now waiting on a broader review of rural tips being carried out by Forbes Shire Council. 

Mr Steffen said council was sending a letter to rural tip users outlining some options and seeking feedback. 

“We have conducted a comprehensive review of rural tips, using a specialist in waste management,” he said. 

“Where we have publicly accessible tips, ones that don’t have a person on site, we have had incidents where the tip has been set alight, chemicals and asbestos materials have been dumped there.

“We need to make appropriate arrangements for these sites.

“Rural tip users should get a letter before Christmas explaining eight options and the approximate costs associated with them.” 

Mr Steffen said council would seek response from and meet with each of the communities.

He said council was aware of the concerns of Wirrinya residents, as well as the support of some for the closure.

Wirrinya Progress Association president Trevor Toole said residents had not had an update on the tip closure in several months. 

“It looks like it’s going to be six months before we even get a meeting with council about it,” he said.

Mr Toole said people had accommodated the changes, but it was certainly an inconvenience.

“During harvest people have a lot to do,” he said.

“Having to remember to take the rubbish to Garema, Forbes or Caragabal is just another job they have to do or fit in around work.” 

It was a particular blow that the tip closed right before the annual Wirrinya Picnic Day, as all the rubbish from that event had to be carted. 

The community also uses the tip as a base for their Drum Muster, which is an important local fundraiser.

“There’s a few of us that have a few drums around after the cropping season that we’d like to clean up,” Mr Toole said.

“And Drum Muster is a good fundraiser for us, it only seems like a few dollars but it adds up.”

Mrs Chudleigh said she had put a request to council in writing to re-open the tip at least through the busy harvest period and until the review could take place. 

She hadn’t received a response. 

“They say they’re onto it or we’ll get letters, but nothing seems to happen,” she said.