New requirements for applying for extra waste bins are set to be enforced this week, following a new kerbside collection policy introduced by Wagga Wagga City Council. Photo: Wagga Wagga City Council.
Wagga Wagga residents looking to apply for an extra red waste bin for kerbside collection will soon have to fulfil a new set of requirements, following a new policy set by Wagga Wagga City Council (WWCC).
The Kerbside Collection Policy is set to replace the current Replacement of Stolen or Damaged Kerbside Collection Bins Policy, and will include details regarding the application for an additional red general waste bin.
Under the current policy, requests for “additional or larger 140L red-lid general waste bins (collected fortnightly) are subject to a bin assessment program and are not automatically approved”.
The current policy also states that additional subsidised bins will be offered for large households consisting of five or more people, as well as “residents who produce extra general waste due to a medical condition”, following a bin assessment conducted by WWCC.
The new policy will introduce a couple of new parameters, including a stricter rule on bins that won’t be subsidised.
The requirements for an extra bin include:
- A household with two or more children in nappies (fees apply)
- A large household of five or more plus residents (rooming houses, Airbnb and other holiday and business rentals do not qualify under this criteria, no fees apply)
- A household with one or more members with medical conditions generating excess waste (no fees apply for an additional garbage bin).
The exhibition period for the policy was held in July and August, and drew only a couple of submissions questioning the changes.
One of the submissions made calls for Wagga to move back to a weekly collection cycle for general waste collection.
“I have been a Wagga resident for just over a year now, with a household of four people. The smaller red bin and fortnightly collection is not adequate for the amount of garbage we accumulate over a two-week period,” one submission wrote.
“We also experienced an extremely hot summer with rubbish sitting in the red bin, causing smell and pest issues due to fortnightly collections.
“We had to invest in pest management for the red bin with maggots growing every fortnight, not to mention trying to control the smell.
“I’d like to think my household is rubbish and environment-conscious, with us utilising the green and yellow bins accordingly; however, it is the garbage bin that is failing us every fortnight. I’d like this to be submitted noting either a larger bin collected fortnightly or, keeping the smaller bin but collected weekly.”
A second submission called for the requirements of children with nappies to be lowered to one, stating concerns about how quickly a single waste bin can fill.
“The eligibility requirements for a second garbage bin for households should be reduced to one child with nappies, not two,” the submission said.
“A fortnight’s worth of nappies for one child fills the red bin very quickly and is not fair on residents with children.”
WWCC staff responded to the concerns via the business papers for the 13 October ordinary council meeting, stating an “option is available under the new policy to upsize the garbage bin for families with children in nappies”.
“The policy does not restrict parents with one child from applying for an additional bin. However, in the instance of a one-child family applying the decision would be made based on the process of assessment and engagement with the household.
“The option is available under the new policy to upsize the garbage bin. Approval is based on reviewing the households’ waste management systems and ensuring they are separating waste materials correctly.”
