Councillors divided as Gold Coast City undertakes biggest bin changes in two decades

Councillors are bracing for a big stink from some Gold Coast ratepayers after the City - for the first time in two decades - will change its rubbish bin services.

Councillors are bracing for a big stink from Gold Coast ratepayers with the City changing its rubbish bin services for the first time in two-plus decades.

More than two thirds of residents will have a new bin day as council undertakes the delivery changes with JJ Richards, its biggest contractor, the Bulletin can reveal.

But councillors are divided about timing with Councillor Brooke Patterson, at a waste committee meeting on Tuesday, interrogating officers about the early December rollout plan.

“The fact the consideration of the customer is not part of the puzzle in terms of timing is somewhat frustrating,” she told officers.

“Given this change hasn’t happened for 25 years, I don’t know what the extraordinary urgency is that we couldn’t wait for a month that makes sense. Not two weeks before Christmas. Why are we rushing this after 25 years after doing nothing.”

Gold Coast City Council bin collection services are about to change.

Officers rejected the assertion, advising the contractor - as early as July - had pushed for the changes aware of safety concerns as their fleet of 96 trucks worked along congested roads.

They said drivers were “running into parked cars and trees” and unable to meet 4.45pm deadlines causing tips to be open and staffed at nights.

“Collection routing has become more distorted and complex with city growth - currently daily connection runs are becoming increasingly unmanageable,” an officer said.

Their plan is to reduce 857 collection zones into 25. Those details are yet to be made public.

Officers asked for support from councillors for a four-week customer update in November.

“This is a large change and it will certainly have customers impacts, which is why we are taking it as seriously as we are in delivering it as a project,” a senior officer said.

Acting Mayor Donna Gates and senior councillor Peter Young asked officers for more details but officers responded by saying the presentation was just to “signal the changes”.

“It’s really important we are satisfied with the material being presented, and even in this form, the media will pick up on this, and it will create a whole bunch of confusion,” Mr Young said.

Gold Coast City Council bin collection days are about to change for the first time in two decades. Mapping shows the zones.

The senior councillors along with Joe Wilkinson and Bob La Castra supported Ms Patterson in a 5-3 vote to get an updated report. Councillors Mark Hammel, Dan Doran and committee chair Shelley Curtis backed the officer recommendation to “note the presentation”.

Outside the meeting, Cr Curtis said December 2 was signalled by officers as a preferred date.

“But as a consequence of discussions from today’s meeting they are go back and do a little bit of work and come back to council and we make sure we determine the best possible time for the changes.”

A City statement outlining the changes said:

* More than 138,000 homes or 67 per cent of residents will have a new bin day “soon”;

* The change in bin collection days will help provide a more efficient, responsive and effective service.

Gold Coast City waste committee chair Shelley Curtis (left) and the planned overhaul of bin collection routes for the city, in the biggest change in two decades.

* Collection truck routes and associated bin days are increasingly inefficient due the Coast’s growth and associated road network changes;

* Improving efficiencies of routes will reduce the extended collection run times and the associated safety and service risks and trucks contribution to traffic congestion;

* A roll out date will be set in coming weeks.

“We will be mass communicating with the community in the weeks leading up to the change to ensure no one misses their bin day,” a spokesperson said.

“The City website and City app will be updated with the new bin day as soon as it is finalised. We thank everyone for their patience as we finalise this important plan.”

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