A TWEED Shire Council candidate is calling for a review of the way in which council supports community groups after a local charity was charged tip fees while trying to help a family in need.

Independent candidate Michael McNamara, who is also the acting principal at Murwillumbah High School, raised the issue this week after members of the Rotary Club of Murwillumbah Central were left out of pocket while helping a family in desperate circumstances.

"When they took two trailer loads of rubbish to the Stotts Island rubbish tip they were charged $160 to dispose of the rubbish,” Mr McNamara said.

"When they queried this, they were told by a worker at the tip that they were 'not on the list' so they had to pay.”

Mr McNamara said it was crucial to support groups like Rotary, who contributed to the community "rather than just complaining and waiting for somebody else to fix the problem”.

"Rotary, Lions, Apex and other groups contribute far more to the community than any level of support that might be provided by council for things like an occasional emergency tip run,” Mr McNamara said.

"In many cases they are doing jobs that would otherwise have to be paid for by council.”

Mr McNamara said more was needed to be done to help charities.

"Although the council does have a sponsorship policy, there are groups that should automatically receive support because they are long-standing and well known and regarded,” he said.

"Volunteering is vital to the health and wellbeing of our communities and council should be doing everything in its power to support volunteer community groups.”

But council unit coordinator of Waste Management Rod Dawson said the weighbridge staff had done the right thing.

"No council officer - including the general manager - has the discretion to waive fees and charges,” Mr Dawson said.

"This can only be done through the elected body in a council meeting, on consideration of the merits of the particular case.”

Mr Dawson said the assessment of charities exempted from waste disposal charges was done in a two-step process which initially involved an assessment by the EPA, who then advised council of an exemption of state-based levies.

Once approved, council considered this and exempted them from the council component of the charges. The state levy comprises 45% of costs.