General waste bins will continue to be collected fortnightly in Lake Macquarie.
The council discussed the matter on Monday night and endorsed a proposal for “the ongoing management and delivery of the three-bin service”.
This includes improved promotion of opt-in additional waste collections, and reviewing the cost for this (currently $280 a year); improved support to residents for the management of nappies, medical waste and hygiene products; and ongoing supply of thicker, more durable compostable bags for the green waste bin, now collected weekly.
The issue came to a head after backlash from the community, namely families, since the new waste collection system – whereby food scraps are disposed of in green bins alongside garden matter instead of in general waste bins – was introduced on 30 July last year.
Red and green bins subsequently switched collection frequencies, while recycling remained the same on alternate weeks.
The Food + Garden = Green system was designed to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.
“Overall, the three-bin service transition is going well for the majority of residents… evidenced by the collection of 156,631 tonnes of food and garden waste between August and December 2018,” a council report stated.
“[However] council understands that the service change is not working for all residents of the city.” Some such residents have complained about smell, general waste overflow, and pests such as flies and maggots.
A petition, now with more than 15,000 signatures, has been circulating to lobby the council to reinstate weekly general waste collection, or at least allow those who need it to opt-in, free of charge.
About 70 people attended a protest outside the council’s Speers Point headquarters on Saturday 23 February to express their frustrations.
Four councillors attended: Kevin Baker, John Gilbert, Jason Pauling and Luke Cubis.
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