Brisbane City Council to pause kerbside pick-up for two years

Brisbane’s annual kerbside pick-up will be suspended for two years to help the city recover from coronavirus, but Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner included some sweeteners for renters in today’s budget.

ANNUAL kerbside pick-up will be scrapped for two years as Brisbane City Council diverts funds to help the residents and businesses through the coronavirus recovery.

It comes as Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner today made good on his election promise that renters would receive free waste vouchers from July 1 for the first time.

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Bigger recycling and green waste bins would also be provided to residents for no upfront cost.

"This is a fairer and more equitable system for Brisbane residents," Cr Schrinner said.

The familiar sight of kerbside scavenging will disappear from Brisbane’s streets for at least two years. Picture: File.

"I want every Brisbane resident to be able to get rid of their household or green waste for free regardless of whether they own or rent."

Despite pausing the popular kerbside pick-up service for two years, Cr Schrinner insisted tip vouchers would make it "easier for people to dispose of rubbish the right way and keep Brisbane clean and green."

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said funds from kerbside pick-up would instead be spent on helping residents, businesses and community groups recover from coronavirus. Picture: Attila Csaszar.

The move to halt kerbside pick-up would save $13 million, which council insists would be redirected to "recovery initiatives" for residents, businesses and community groups.

Opposition leader Jared Cassidy however slammed the decision to cease kerbside pickup for two years, saying it showed that the LNP administration had its priorities wrong.

“We’re all stuck at home at the moment, we’re all doing cleanouts at home,” Cr Cassidy said.

“That news today is going to be pretty devastating to people I think, particularly those who don’t have the means to get to their local dump.”

“It’s one of the most basic things that council can do: roads, rates and rubbish.”

The kerbside collection move comes as the coronavirus pandemic blew a $142.5 million hole in Brisbane City Council’s budget for 2020-21.