Young Shire Council has just adopted the Discharge of Liquid Trade Waste into Sewerage System Policy which requires any business that cooks hot food to install, at a minimum, a 1000 litre grease trap costing as much as $15,000.

Businesses also have to pay a $225 application fee as well as an annual administration and inspection charge and have 12 months to comply with the regulations.

If they don’t, businesses will be forced to pay non-compliance fees of $14.36 per kilolitre.

But a number of small business owners in town who don’t already have a grease trap, believe it is easier said than done, saying they may be forced to close down because they can’t afford it.

Pat Smith – who has owned the premises of Mill Sandwiches for 20 years which has been deemed a liquid trade waste discharger – was compelled to express her concerns in the open forum at council’s March 20 monthly meeting in Murringo.

Mrs Smith told the meeting it was going to cost her thousands of dollars to install a grease trap – money neither she nor the owner of the business had.

“There is no deep frying taking place – not one bit of fat is going down the drain,” she said.

Mrs Smith said the whole process has left her not knowing what to do and she wants to warn others about it.

“I have quotes for an above-ground grease trap for $10,000 but I’ve been told I can’t have an above-ground trap because the area is too small, shops are too close together and because of odour,” Mrs Smith said.

“I’ll have to put a $15,000 in-ground grease trap…it’s just ridiculous – you can’t get blood out of a stone, I can’t afford it,” she said.

“We’ll have to close down.”

Mrs Smith said it was unbelievable the amount of expenses she and the business owner pay for “that little shop”.

“It’s not like we’re a big business with a huge turnover,” she said.

The policy is all about protecting council sewerage infrastructure from corrosion, blockages and overflows, protecting the environment and the health and safety of workers and the public.

Young Shire Council’s utilities director, Nicole Vonarx, said the policy hasn’t come in just because of the construction of council’s sewerage treatment plant, but rather it’s an update on the 2009 guidelines.

“It’s about protecting council’s assets and fats, greases and chemicals will impact on that,” Ms Vonarx said.

She also said it will help council better manage trade waste and improve their chances to receive government funding.

The policy involves businesses getting council to come out and assess the business to see what one of four categories they fall into.

According Ms Vonarx, the requirements people have to meet will depend on the business.

She said of the 180 businesses the policy affects, the requirements are nowhere near as expensive for some as it is for others. 

Darren Franks of Juicy Lucy’s café and Chris Harrison, owner of Young McDonald’s, already have grease traps installed and both say the policy shouldn’t affect them too much. 

For Susie Forrest – owner of The Country Providore Cafe and Mullino Bar and Grill – her situation is similar to Mrs Smith, saying she is worried if they are going to have to pay for a grease trap.

“We’ve only just put our application in and we’re pretty well covered for the restaurant as we already have a large grease trap but it might cost a bit for the café,” Mrs Forrest said.

“We collect the oil, we wipe all the plates – I won’t be happy if we have to pay for it. We will just have to look at it very seriously,” she said.

Ms Vonarx said the site restrictions and access issues for someone to come in and install a grease trap is why the bill is so high for Mrs Smith.

She also said why some businesses don’t automatically have grease traps installed depends on the building and because it hasn’t been a policy that’s been enforced before.

“We’re trying to make it as easy as possible [and] we’re trying to work with the businesses – it’s hard when every business is different,” Ms Vonarx said.

“Mrs Smith spoke at council’s meeting without talking to council first to discuss her options,” she said.

Ms Vonarx added council can’t grant business owners an exemption, only the NSW Office of Water can.

All in all, Ms Vonarx said the local feedback on the policy has been pretty good, saying that some people have been “quite shocked but once we sit down with them and explain it they’re pretty cooperative.”

“We can understand that it produces an additional fee – we’re trying to with them and help them while protecting our infrastructure,” she said.