Uncollected kerbside rubbish, construction site scraps to add to Alfred’s chaos

Millions of SEQ residents could be impacted by uncollected kerbside rubbish and debris from unattended building sites as Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes its way towards the coast.

Kerbside collection left in Windsor earlier this month. Picture: Liam Kidston

Southeast Queenslanders are concerned unattended building sites and kerbside rubbish could cause unnecessary damage to their homes, as Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes its way towards the coast.

A building site in Aspley was spotted with branches, equipment, and scraps left unattended after a home was demolished earlier in the week.

Photos of the site, which was in a residential area, were posted to social media to alert nearby residents of the danger the site could pose once the Category Two cyclone made landfall.

A building site in Aspley was left unattended despite TC Alfred making his landfall within days. Picture: Dominique Wood

Meanwhile, Southeast Brisbane residents fumed that piles of hard rubbish had been left unsecured on the kerb.

On Daintree Court in Park Ridge, tables, indoor furniture, and dozens of cardboard boxes were piled haphazardly on the side of the road.

More rubbish was spotted in Carina, where mattresses, chairs, eskies and scraps were chucked on the sidewalk.

The rubbish piles were found on Thursday despite the Brisbane City Council suspending kerbside collection until further notice due to the expected risk of the cyclone.

The council did, however, reopen four resource recovery centres on Thursday morning to aid those looking to do final clean-ups.

Aspley resident Dominique Wood said she was concerned about all the loose items that have been left at the site of the demolished house on Robinson Rd that neighbours her property.

“It has been looking like it’s going to be demolished for a little while like they’ve been clearing trees and they had a digger there for a while, but nothing was really happening,” she said.

Rubbish left on the kerb on Daintree Court in Park Ridge. Picture: Yvette Benkis

“Yesterday all of a sudden, in a big rush, the house was just demolished, and we were expecting that they were going to clear the items away, but that didn’t happen.

“So, I’ve just been looking at the pile of rubbish, rubble, and trees that have been left there and wondering what might happen if the cyclone is to hit here and it all becomes airborne and projectiles around.”

Ms Wood added that she was concerned for the safety of herself, her family, and neighbours.

“I’m just concerned that there is literally thousands of items on the site that are loose and could potentially be lifted, moved and put through windows or land on top of people’s houses,” she said.

“I just don’t think it’s safe.”

Master Builders Queensland building services and licensing general manager Tony Mitchell said it was disappointing that the Aspley site was not to a satisfactory standard ahead of the weather event.

Dumped rubbish on the kerb in Carina. Picture: Facebook

“It is not a good indicator of a safe work site, there are a lot of unsecured demolished materials and it is not satisfactory,” he said.

“I do hope it is a resourcing issue that is resolved quickly. We did communicate to all our members earlier in the week about removing loose materials and exposed areas.

“For the most part people in the building and construction industry are doing the right thing.”

Mr Mitchell urged for worksites to be prepared for the impending cyclone.

“Our advice to builders right now is that it’s better to be safe than sorry – and now is the time to prepare your worksite against this threat,” Mr Mitchell said.

“It might seem obvious, but make sure there is no rubbish, other debris or loose fixtures or fittings lying around your site – these can become missiles in heavy winds and can also be washed away in flooding.

“Removing or securing loose materials in wind-exposed areas, such as formwork decks, balconies, and uncovered openings such as windows that aren’t yet fitted or covered by screens or scaffolding, is vital.

“Roofing is also a clear priority. We recommend removing all loose sheets, guttering, sarking, ridge capping and safety mesh from the roof, or securing to the structure with rope or strapping. Where scaffolding is in place, a scaffolding supervisor should do a full pre-shutdown inspection.”

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said while kerbside collection had been suspended until further notice, the Brisbane City Council were fast-tracking the collection of any items that remained on the kerb.

“However, this can’t be guaranteed before conditions worsen,” he said.

“While I recognise this will inconvenience people who have already put items out, this is a decision we’ve had to make to keep our community safe.

“We will be making arrangements to reschedule any suspended collections once we understand the full impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.”

Cr Schrinner said opening hours for the four Resource Recovery Centres would be extended from 6:30am to 8:45pm.

“A cyclone in Brisbane is something many of us have never experienced before so preparing now is the only way to ensure your home, pets and loved ones stay safe,” he said.

“I’m urging residents to do whatever they can to get ready now, including cleaning up your yard, trimming trees and securing loose items that can be incredibly dangerous during high winds.”

Logan Mayor Jon Raven said it was disappointing to see people illegally dumping and ignoring the safety of others.

“Our community deserves better than this, we don’t want to see illegal dumping in our streets,” he said.

“Council started cleaning up this pile before TC Alfred, but people have been adding to it since.

“It’s really disappointing to see a few disrespectful residents ignoring the safety of their neighbours in the lead-up to a cyclone.

“It’s too late to remove it, so we’re doing everything we can to get it secured.”

Originally published as Uncollected kerbside rubbish, construction site scraps to add to Alfred’s chaos