Greater Shepparton City Council announced via social media in July that the Murchison Resource and Recovery Centre would be closed until further notice due to staff shortages.
What followed was a wave of frustration from residents, who took to local community pages to voice their concerns.
Fears of illegal dumping in the nearby bushland were raised, while other people questioned the fairness of paying rates for services that could be abruptly withdrawn.
The closure has left many feeling that their town is being unfairly neglected and residents have been directed to use alternative resource and recovery centres in the meantime.
Greater Shepparton City Council director of infrastructure Gary Randhawa acknowledged the concerns and provided an update on the situation.
“The Resource Recovery Department at council is currently progressing through the recruitment process for the Murchison Centre,” Mr Randhawa said.
“Advertisement for the role of municipal waste officer has recently closed, and we are working through that process.”
He also addressed the possibility of using staff from other centres.
“At present, it is not an option to rotate staff into Murchison from other centres. All facilities are subject to varying degrees of impact at any time due to staff availability,“ he said.
"The Resource Recovery Department is currently working through the recruitment process, and the closure period will be pending based on recruitment."
In the meantime, Murchison residents are left wondering when the centre will reopen, with many hoping for a swift resolution to prevent further disruption to their community.