Gold Coast City Council bin service expansion: What you need to know
A Gold Coast resident has described an expansion of kerbside bin collections to his street as the stuff “miracles” are made of.
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A Gold Coast resident has described an expansion of kerbside bin collections to his street as the stuff “miracles” are made of.
Mudgeeraba resident Gordon Petersen, who lives just 5km from the M1, has not had access to Gold Coast City Council’s garbage pick-up service.
But that’s all set to change on Monday after the council moved to expand the kerbside bin collection service to the whole of Gold Coast.
The first citywide collection of bins, now including hinterland and rural areas of the coast, will start on September 27.
Mr Petersen gathered 60 signatures from his neighbours in a petition to the council demanding the service, arguing “a garbage service is a health service".
The Mudgeeraba resident said he was always hopeful of a positive outcome, despite some of his questions to the council about the bin collection going unanswered.
“Like ScoMo, I believe in miracles,” Mr Petersen said.
“In response to our petition on Monday April 19, 2021 the Water, Waste and Energy Committee GCCC resolved a recommendation to the full council to expand the designated waste collections area (kerbside bin service collection area) to citywide.
“I congratulate council for taking the side of advancing the quality of life of Gold Coast residents and supplying services for all.
“Another big winner is the environment.”
A council spokeswoman said residents in the areas of the expanded bin collection service would receive a standard 240L general waste bin and a standard 240L recycling bin.
“The city has reviewed all properties in the area, with some properties inaccessible by standard waste collection vehicles,” she said.
“We will continue to investigate viable alternatives for these properties.
“This expansion will ensure our waste management services are fair and equitable to all customers and include rural and hinterland customers in a service that the rest of the city receives.”
Areas now included in expanded residential waste collection services:
Cedar Creek
Kingsholme
Woongoolba
Wongawallan
Clagiraba
Guanaba
Mount Nathan
Nerang
Springbrook
Numinbah Valley
Austinville
Neranwood
Natural Bridge
Mudgeeraba
Gilston
Bonogin
Currumbin Valley
Tallebudgera
Tallebudgera Valley
Rural Coasters face rate rise for ‘unfair’ waste service - May 23
MORE than 1000 Gold Coast ratepayers will be paying for a new kerbside waste service — despite very few of them being able to use it.
A majority of councillors are backing a new city-wide waste management strategy that will put garbage trucks on rural backblocks.
However, hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer is opposing the move, aware some of these property owners will refuse to use the service and are already facing hefty rate rises due to a spike in land valuations.
For some owners, their steep blocks are several hundred metres from the kerb where they need to place their bins.
The details of the widespread reform of the city’s waste collection service remain on “grey papers” after discussion behind closed doors by councillors.
In Division 9, Cr Tozer estimates more than 600 properties at Numinbah, Austinville and Springbrook will be faced with the $300 annual waste management utility charge.
“At many of these properties it’s not really appropriate to have a kerbside service even if they want it,” Cr Tozer told colleagues. “Whilst a truck can drive down their street it is impractical, I don’t believe they will use it.”
He suggested many residents would continue to use their local waste disposal station.
“The timing is just horrible. Farmers out there and people who live in rural properties have faced rate increases as a result of valuations disproportionate to the rest of the city. An extra $300 charge doesn’t seem right in this climate.”
Cr Tozer told the Bulletin the rate increases in these areas had been driven by proportional land value increases compared to land across the rest of the city.
“The algorithm that calculates property rates is underpinned by unimproved land value, which is determined by the state government.
“Some have faced several hundred dollars in increases, and there is currently no mechanism to appeal except via the state government’s Land Valuation Office.”
Cr Tozer said rural residents must pay for the service even it they did not want it, and
they could not get an exemption.
“Many of these properties managed their limited waste on their own properties or dropped into a transfer station as the need would arise from time to time,” he said.
“Now, every property owner contributes for the availability of waste services whether they use a kerbside bin or transfer station, or whether they simply manage their waste in other ways on their own property.”
Nerang-based city councillor Peter Young said officers had completed “a significant body for work” with the current contractors and evaluated the routes previously thought to be inaccessible.
“It’s a considerable expansion of the service, and it brings a lot of regularity to a larger number of residents in the city,” he said.
“There is some concern from the point of view of hinterland residents in that they may be able to capitalise or utilise the service as well as residential and urban dwellers because of the distance from their home to the front gate.
“But what’s being anticipated is the cost applied to those residents will be the same as across the entire city, there is a standardisation. In the end I commend the recommendation, it’s a very worthwhile endeavour.”
‘Disgusting’: Coast streets become illegal dumping sites
May 18, 2021
SOME Gold Coast suburban streets are becoming rubbish tip sites as residents dump waste on footpaths around a new kerbside collection service.
The council is trialing the program of new flexi-skip bins with the service taking off during the COVID as requests double because householders are renovating their homes.
Since February the three-cubic-metre skip bags with a one-tonne capacity – big enough to take bulky pieces like couches – has led to 52 per cent of residential household waste items being diverted from landfills.
But there has been a downside to FLEXiSKip with residents overfilling the bags, and their neighbours topping the blue-coloured skips on footpaths with their rubbish. Some are scavenging for potential prized items.
A Biggera Waters resident, who contacted the Bulletin but asked not to be named for fear or retribution from neighbours, said the issue was “beyond a joke”.
“Whoever organised that blue bag needs to get something done about it. I know other people have been inconsiderately dumping in it but do the right thing and get it moved,” the resident said.
Other residents labelled the mess “disgusting” and said the overflowing skips had been on footpaths “for seven weeks” without being picked up.
The northern Coast resident said she had been contacted the office of her area councillor, Cameron Caldwell, and was told the matter was being “escalated”. Council workers began removing the rubbish on Wednesday.
“There are two blue bags across the road that need removing. I gather the people who organised them are or were occupants of the apartments they are in front of,” she said.
“When I got home the brown couch in front of our apartment was gone. I don’t think the stuff dumped is worth stealing and really if someone wants it I guess they must be desperate.
“Council also said they first have to identify who is dumping. Seriously, it’s been seven weeks now.”
The resident spoke to council officers about a security camera nearby which could potentially identify who was leaving rubbish behind.
The Bulletin is seeking comment from Cr Caldwell but neighbouring councillors are confirming “teething problems” with the new service.
Labrador-based councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden said his office had received complaints from residents about neighbours putting rubbish in their flexi-bin.
“It is unfortunate. It is a city-wide trial. We are trying to work out all the kinks,” Cr Bayldon-Lumsden said.
“Any residents who have contacted me regarding flexi-skip, I’ve advised them don’t book it until you are ready to fill it.”
“And then have it collected as soon as possible. I’m reminding everyone that if it’s not
collected in 30 days you get a fee. It’s free as long as you order it and have it collected in those 30 days.”
“People are loving it. There was an issue with collection. That was again on the supplier’s end, not council, that’s part and parcel of a trial.”
A council spokesperson confirmed fees applied for non-compliant use of the bulky kerbside service.
“Fees will apply if the skip is unable to be collected due to location — not on kerbside or too close to cars, trees and powerlines, overweight or oversized flexi-skip or if the flexi-skip contains unacceptable items,” the spokesperson said.
If residents do not organise for the blue bag to be collected within 30 days, they must remove the items themselves.
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