A cash bonus to local Primary schools is just one of the advantages to the district community of chemical containers being recycled through drumMUSTER.
Support for the program continues to be encouraged, with the message that the more drums collected the greater the benefits on farm, to the environment and to local children.
(L-R) Angus McLaren (Temora Public School representative); Andrew Lockley, Landmark Temora; Agsafe regional consultant, Vernon Keighley; Tony Grant (St Anne’s Central) and Ray Wells (Temora West).
drumMUSTER is a nationwide program, that encourages users of chemical containers to dispose of them in a legal and environmentally conscious manner.
In Temora, collection is co-ordinated by the Shire Council, with eligible chemical containers inspected and received at the Landfill depot.
Since 2008 a local initiative has seen money received for the drums directed to Temora’s three Primary schools – Temora Public, Temora West and St Anne’s Central.
drumMUSTER pays 25c per drum and Landmark Temora donates an additional 5c per drum that is directed into the schools’ fund.
Since the fund began, a total of $15,210 has been distributed amongst the three schools.
The most recent instalment of $1400 took to $5070 the amount to which each has benefitted from the drumMUSTER program.
The support of Temora Shire Council has been greatly appreciated, including the provision of staff to inspect and collect the drums.
So too has the contribution of Landmark Temora, which has boosted the total fund amount by over $1700.
Vernon Keighley, regional drumMUSTER consultant, was in Temora last week and is pleased with how the program is operating.
During the last financial year over 8500 drums came through the Temora depot, and for the past five years in total the figure is over 30,000.
Mr Keighley said this could be even greater and encouraged more people to consider the advantages of using drumMUSTER.
“It is win, win – for farms, landscape, environment and in Temora, your local schools,” he said.
“The drums are recycled and it really is of benefit to the entire community.
“Nationwide, over 20 million drums have now been collected and recycled through drumMUSTER – a really pleasing statistic,” he added.
Mr Keighley said the support of the Shire Council and Landmark Temora was instrumental in the success locally of the association between drumMUSTER and the schools.
That is a sentiment shared by the schools’ fund representatives – Angus McLaren (Temora Public), Ray Wells (Temora West) and Tony Grant (St Anne’s) –who expressed sincere thanks on behalf of their respective school communities to both the Shire Council and Landmark Temora for their continued outstanding support.
Thanks were also extended to the fund treasurer, Jenny McRae, for her ongoing efforts.
Empty and clean eligible chemical containers can be delivered through drumMUSTER at the Temora landfill site during regular opening times on weekdays.
It is a clean, safe and cost effective method of disposing of used chemical containers.
Temora Shire Council provides staff to collect the drums, with prior appointment necessary for inspection. Contact the depot on 0407931231.