Goodies Junction at Mugga Lane has been operating for one year, since taking over from The Green Shed. Photos: James Coleman.
The Green Shed owner has criticised the ACT Government for not enforcing its contract with the St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) over the sale of items at its Goodies Junction stores.
May 2025 marks exactly a year since Vinnies took over operation of the reuse facilities at the Mugga Lane and Mitchell resource management centres – and renamed them ‘Goodies Junction’ – after winning a government tender.
Charlie Bigg-Wither and his wife, Sandie Parkes, operated the facilities for 13 years.
The change of ownership drew the ire of many in the community, with a Change.org petition in 2024 to “prevent the closure of Green Shed” racking up more than 8000 signatures.
In response, the ACT Auditor-General, Michael Harris, agreed to review the initial procurement process for “fairness” and “transparency”. Mr Harris handed down a couple of recommendations, but ruled the overall process was “effective” and above board.
However, in a post to The Green Shed’s official Facebook page this week, Mr Bigg-Wither claimed that certain clauses in the contract, rather than any unfairness in the procurement process, were the real reason his company lost the operation.
Screenshots of the government contract reveal how the operator was expected to maintain an “electronic database” and record “each reusable item accepted at the facility”, whether from a customer or salvaged.
This record was to include the facility where the particular item is accepted, its estimated weight, its location within the store, its price, and the date and time at which it’s sold.
The government contract, showing the requirement to maintain an “electronic database” of items. Photo: Screenshot, The Green Shed.
“As far as TGS can understand, we were unsuccessful in retaining our contract because we were unable and unwilling to comply with these contract obligations as we did not feel comfortable that we would be able to offer the same level of services to the community,” the post reads.
It went on to claim that “after 12 months, none of these contractual obligations are being met” by Vinnies either.
In a subsequent interview with Region, Mr Bigg-Wither said The Green Shed offered to weigh donations as they came in, and record them under categories like homeware, hardware, outdoor, pets, etc, but “that wasn’t good enough for the government”.
“The reason we didn’t get the tender, as far as we can assume … is because we were unwilling to track the price, weigh and describe every single item that came through the shed.
“Like, how do you put a price tag on a roll of chicken wire that’s out the back in the rain, and is going to sell for 20 cents? All that stuff was just stupid to us.”
He said he’s been told Vinnies wasn’t adhering to these clauses either.
“And if it were being done, everything would have a barcode on it, because the only way you can physically enter that much stuff is to have some kind of point-of-sale system.”
He said his drawing attention to it “is not so much about us losing the tender anymore” but “about holding the government responsible”.
He called for the government to either “ensure contract compliance” or “ignore or remove these clauses from the contract”.
“If they choose the second option, then legally and morally, the tender should be put out for public tender as the operation of this service does not meet many of the requirements that were advertised,” he wrote on Facebook.
Items for sale at Goodies Junction, Mugga Lane. Photo: James Coleman.
In response to questions, the ACT Government said it “monitors the contractual obligations in the reusables contract closely to ensure compliance”.
“To meet the conditions of the contract, obligations are monitored through a range of mechanisms including, but not limited to, regular contract management meetings, scheduled reporting cycles and regular inspections of the facilities,” a spokesperson told Region.
“The contractor operates within a performance framework, and any potential or actual non-compliances are highlighted and addressed directly with the contractor.”
The government also confirmed Goodies Junctions is required to weigh items, record when items are donated and sold, and for how much, with these records held by Goodies Junction.
The St Vincent de Paul Society declined to comment.
