Providing a combination of both urban and rural lifestyle, the Shire of Melton is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Australia. To maintain the area’s unspoiled state, the prospering community relies on advanced waste management equipment developed by Urban Service Solutions (USS) and Bulk Transport Equipment (BTE).
Home to 116,000 people, the Shire of Melton embraces a series of townships and communities, including Caroline Springs and Melton, about 30km west of Melbourne’s vibrant CBD. Each week about 41 babies are born, and the community increases by just over 52 new households.
Operating the local Recycling Centre and Transfer Station, Urban Service Solutions has established a professional waste management solution to serve the ever-growing community. The Transfer Station, a stone’s throw away from the humming Western Freeway, is used as an interim storage facility to deposit waste cargo prior to transporting it to a landfill in Deer Park.
To simplify the process of picking up transfer bins, USS decided on a Hyva hook lift which is set up by Seaford based company BTE. Mounted on a 320-horse power, single-steer Kenworth, it enables the company to efficiently pick up and transfer waste bins.
“It’s a great tool,” says John Fawcett, managing director of USS. “It allows the exact positioning of containers and enables the operator to get in and out of tight spaces. The quick exchange of containers is fascinating. You can mount or dismount a bin in less than 90 seconds.
“In autumn I was awarded a contract with the Shire of Melton, and I had to have a hook lift on the road by the end of June. Yet the truck didn’t come off the production line before mid-May, so there was not much time left to finish the construction,” he recalls. “That’s why I contacted BTE. I heard about the company’s engineering expertise before, but it was the ability to meet a tight deadline that convinced me.
“In addition to the standard construction, we also needed to fit a set of scales, and BTE was able to complete the installation as well. Although it was a tight timeframe, we were able to pick up the truck by the end of June. The timing was perfect.”
Operating seven days a week, the new truck is working nonstop ever since. “BTE’s director, Alan Griffiths, personally trained our staff, and we didn’t have a single issue since the vehicle is in use,” says John, who has been working in the recycling industry since 1975.
“Back then I simply wanted to run my own company, and I saw an opportunity in the growing recycling industry. Hence I established a humble one-man-business, recycling garden and household waste. The business has grown ever since, and today we employ 20 people offering kerbside recycling, street sweeping and litter collection,” says John.
“Lately we have made a foray into the waste management industry, and in BTE we have found a competent partner to maintain the course of growth. Although it’s the first time we’ve ever dealt with BTE, I wouldn’t look anywhere else if I had to buy a new hook lift tomorrow.”
Since June, John has already received a second BTE hook lift and is just about to place a new order. “At the moment, we consider purchasing a compaction vehicle to cart green waste, but it’s still on the drawing board,” he reveals. It will complement the company’s ever-growing fleet of garbage compactors, tipping trucks, street sweepers and specialised transport equipment.
“We always strive to provide the best possible service to our clientele,” says John, who does not hesitate to take a seat behind the wheel himself. “That’s why we need the best material available. It’s all about service, reliability and trust.”
Just as the Shire of Melton, which has won the national Keep Australia Beautiful Award, USS does not intent to slow down expansion. “We work seven days a week,” says John. “In the waste business, you can’t just take a brake. BTE has understood the unique character of the industry and developed a hook lift solution that is custom tailored to endure such a straining job.”
“Only premium transport equipment will keep the operator on the job,” Alan Griffiths concludes. “By building reliable transport equipment we support USS in keeping the Shire of Melton as beautiful a place as it is today.”
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