Goulburn Mulwaree Council dumps spring clean-up

Whatever the view, the council’s annual clean-up will be scrapped in an effort to rid streets of “unsightly” rubbish, encourage recycling and address OH&S issues.

Councillors unanimously agreed at their meeting on Tuesday to abandon the spring council pick-up service for discarded household goods and waste.

Instead, it will open up the waste management centres at Goulburn, Marulan and Tarago for two weekends free of charge every year.

On the first weekend in May, people can dispose a maximum two fridges, one air conditioner, two mattresses and one cubic metre of e-waste. Tip hours will be extended from 7am to 4pm on those days but fridges, e-waste, air-conditioners and mattresses, “other than domestic” will be charged in line with the council’s fees and charges.

On the first weekend in November, the waste management centres will again have free entry for residents to offload domestic bulky waste. Each load must be no more than 2m3 or it will be charged at normal rates. It must also be sorted so as not to incur extra fees.

Rural waste card holders will still have the free bulky waste disposal on their card and will be also be able to utilise the free weekend.

On Tuesday, Cr Margaret O’Neill said she was concerned there was no provision for pensioners and seniors who didn’t have cars and trailers to transport waste to the tip.

But Utilities Director Grant Moller said service clubs would fill this void. Councillors also agreed to negotiate a fee with clubs in the region for servicing these residents. A report will come back to a future meeting.

Asked by Deputy Mayor Alf Walker whether the clubs had been contacted, Mr Moller said he couldn’t do so until councillors agreed to the move.

“Griffith Council has had this program going for a while where Rotary, the Lions’ Clubs and Men’s Shed get involved. It has been operating very successfully,” he said.

In a detailed report, Mr Moller said there were significant problems with the current service, which costs $80,000 annually.

“Although the clean-up occurs over a week, many residents place their waste days and weeks in advance and those items not collected often stay on the kerbside for many weeks,” he wrote.

“Not only does this look very untidy for residents but also for visitors and people passing through Goulburn and Marulan.”

In addition, he believed it posed a danger for pedestrians, traffic and council collection vehicles in often narrow streets. Moreover, the council side-arm compactors were not designed to pick up the items and staff were invariably exposed to work, health and safety risks  in loading materials on to other vehicles.

“The service does not encourage recycling as all the waste and recycling (excluding steel and some cardboard) placed on the kerbside is collected together into compactors and tip trucks and disposed of into landfill. It cannot be sorted,” he stated. 

Mr Moller said the new arrangement would also allow residents to dispose of fridges, air-conditioners, mattresses and e-waste that was not currently available.

Tuesday’s decision means the spring clean-up will not be undertaken in 2018.

It did not faze Cr Peter Walker, who said it was important to get on with the change.

“I think the only complaint we will have is that we’re not supplying enough ice-blocks for people waiting to get into the tip,” he said.

“...I think this is a great start to cleaning up what is a disgrace around our streets.”

He argued that the set-up could end up saving money, especially through recycling. Endeavour Industries is located nearby. Mr Moller said a tip-shop would also open at the facility in the near future. It is part of a larger $4m to $5m project to build a new waste facility incorporating resource recovery, a community recycling centre, a drive-thru shed and new gatehouse. Tenders for design will be called early next year with construction to be complete by the end of 2019.

Cr Walker said the new service, involving the clubs, would also cater for people with disabilities, not just seniors.

Cr Leah Ferrara questioned how the tip would manage situations where clubs were picking up for multiple households. Mr Moller acknowledged it was a case of “trial and error” and offloads would be governed by time and how many passed through the gate.

Cr Walker believed clubs’ participation would depend on the insurance policy impact.

“It may not be a big cost but it will be something for them to consider. I’d like to see more information on this,” he said.

But Moller replied it would be encapsulated in negotiations.

He told The Post the new arrangement would also help stop dumping in bushland, such as Mount Gray.

The council is planning an extensive education and awareness campaign about the free weekend service.