A Melbourne nightclub has accused council workers of improperly removing refundable bottles and cans from its commercial bins, after CCTV footage showed workers placing containers into a council truck.
The incident occurred behind King Street nightclub Inflation, where owner Martha Tsamis said the venue separates containers to claim refunds under Victoria’s container deposit scheme.
“We take time with staff to separate the bottles from rubbish, only to find that council workers are stealing from us,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The City of Melbourne confirmed the workers were only authorised to remove illegally dumped waste and said the matter would be investigated.
“Any allegation of misconduct by staff or contractors is taken seriously – and will be investigated,” a council spokesperson said.
Authorities overseeing the container deposit scheme said bin fossicking without permission is not encouraged and warned rules vary between councils.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
