By MATT NICHOLLS
A GROUP of volunteers are trying to save the Armidale branch of ComputerBank New England after it was suddenly closed last week.
Julia Johns and Chris Brodie made a plea to Armidale Dumaresq Council on Monday night to allow the volunteers to take over the facility, which is adjacent to the Armidale Waste Transfer Station.
ComputerBank New England was founded by Barry Sinclair in Uralla in 2002 and was taken over by Robert Patterson in 2006.
It recycles TVs and refurbishes computers to sell them back to the community at a low cost.
In 2009, the group took over the e-waste recycling at Armidale.
Mrs Johns told councillors on Monday the ComputerBank facility was owned by council and it had the power to open the doors for the volunteers to use the facility.
“We would need a bit of money to get things going, but there’s no reason why we couldn’t run it under a new name,” she said.
Mr Patterson, who is the president of the not-for-profit organisation, told the Armidale Independent yesterday that he withdrew from the Armidale centre because the volunteers were not following correct procedure.
“There are protocols that need to be followed correctly and they weren’t being done,” he said.
“The Uralla site is still operating, but we have withdrawn from Armidale.”
Councillor Jim Maher said ComputerBank New England was an important facility.
“It takes a lot of strain off the landfill and some of those plastics end up in Asia,” he said.
Cr Maher’s thoughts were echoed by councillor Peter O’Donohue.
“This is a really disturbing sitatution and it would be good to see it resolved quickly,” he said.
Council agreed to pursue opportunities to reopen the Armidale branch.
