By Natalee Kerr
A new $2.4 million five-bin kerbside collection service within the Surf Coast could “complicate” waste management, according to a community group.
3228 Residents Association president Andrew Cherubin said he was “sceptical” as to whether the new system would work.
“From a recycling point of view I think it’s a great idea, but from a practical point of view I’m not too sure,” he said.
Mr Cherubin pointed to a lack of education previously delivered by council regarding household waste management already resulting in “confusion” among residents.
“At the moment we have three bins and no one tells you what the bins are exactly for,” he said.
“If people can’t get it right now, I can see some real problems happening with the introduction of more bins.”
Council voted unanimously to pass the new program at its meeting on Tuesday night that will introduce a 120-litre bin for glass shire-wide, with a 240-litre paper/cardboard bin to be provided to some homes on a trial basis.
The introduction of the bins would cost $1.18 million in addition to council’s current kerbside waste management costs.
Mr Cherubin suggested success of the new five-bin plan would depend on “continuous education” from council.
“A really good sustained education program is needed so people are putting the right thing in the right bin,” he said.
“If they don’t it will end up in landfill anyway, which will result in added costs to the community.”
A further $1.29 million is proposed to roll out a shire-wide food organics service, requiring residents to collect compostable waste in smaller basket-style bins.
The Shire’s acting chief executive officer Anne Howard said council would implement the changes in “consultation with the community”.
“We understand that any proposal to introduce additional bins means that our residents would need to think about how they manage it,” she said.
“However, council has heard clearly that the community expects things to change.”
The plan comes after council’s recycling contractor SKM Recycling stopped accepting recyclables last July, causing them to be sent to landfill.
