A second life for Council equipment

Published on 30 May 2025

Ageing Council plant equipment often gets a second life and a new home in the local community. In May Council donated or auctioned several items that were due for renewal, making sure they provide a local benefit even when the time comes to move them on.

One donation included a brush cutter and pole saw, given to support maintenance at the Merton Hall and Merton Recreation Reserve. The Merton community also received a generator used by Council for works at unpowered sites.

“We truly appreciate the opportunity to have these tools on hand to help us maintain and enhance both reserves,” said Margaret FitzGerald, Chair of Merton Recreation & Memorial Hall Reserves Inc.

“The generator, in particular, will be invaluable during power outages, ensuring essential services are maintained.”

Council donated another brush cutter, pole saw and a trailer to the Jamieson Community Group.

“This equipment means we can be a little bit more independent as a community group rather than always depending on Council,” said Jamieson Community Group Committee member Nick Hyslop.

“It's great that Council was able to provide this commercial-standard equipment to our community rather than letting it to waste. The compacting plate will be a great help working on the next stage of the Howqua Community Trail, and we can use the equipment to do repairs and maintenance on our existing paths and trails through Jamieson and Howqua,” Mr Hyslop said.

Council also auctioned other surplus equipment online. A street sweeper that had kept Mansfield's roads clean for many years found a new owner, selling for $16,390. Smaller items such as an auger ($90), a line marking machine ($510) and a forklift rotator ($129) were also sold, with the proceeds to be reinvested in the local community.

The donations and sales are part of a yearly process where Council assesses what plant equipment has reached the end of its service life and is due for replacement.

Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said Council was committed to getting the best value throughout the life of each piece of equipment.

“Regularly renewing our plant equipment pays off. As items get older they need to be serviced or repaired more often. We invest in new equipment because it’s a better use of ratepayer money than the increasing repair costs and down-time,” he said.

“When equipment is due for replacement, it often still has significant life left that community members or groups can use. We’ve recouped the value of some items by auctioning them. By donating others to our hardworking community groups, we’re helping those groups to grow their capacity and be more independent.

“It’s all another way of getting the best bang for our buck,” Cr Rabie said.

In a separate cleanup of Council’s depot, several scrap items were also disposed of in partnership with High Country Metals. Fourteen tonnes of scrap metal were recycled, bringing $2,800 back into Council’s budget.