Council cancels extra collections because of “driver shortage”
After introducing bin police and threatening to ban “bad recyclers” Mornington Peninsula Shire has cancelled its extra holiday service. HAVE YOUR SAY.
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Overflowing and festering bins may greet tourists visiting the Mornington Peninsula as extra summer collection services are axed.
Residents still struggling to clean up after October storms have now been told additional recycling pick-ups have been cancelled.
Mornington Peninsula Shire on Sunday announced the weekly service would not run this year because of a “driver shortage”.
Ratepayers were told to take left over recycling to the tip at no cost or order an extra bin for $75.
Anti-litter champion Josie Jones said the shire was already struggling to stay on top of public bins and scrapping further services would lead to an explosion of waste.
She said a spike in the number of short stay accommodation providers on the southern peninsula meant bins filled faster and cutting collections was shortsighted.
“About one in three properties is an Airbnb and we’ve found that holiday makers generate more waste and are more likely to contaminate recycling bins with rubbish.
“The first group fills up the bins and those who come after have nowhere to put their waste and recyclables.
“We already have overflowing bins and the peak season hasn’t started.”
Ms Jones said a lack of options for holiday makers led to the stockpiling of recyclable material.
“It’s a fire hazard.”
Some short stay providers tried to solve the problem by buying their own bins and adding them to the line up for council collection.
“But they aren’t emptied and just fester,” Ms Jones said.
Angry ratepayers took to social media after the service was scrapped, demanding a refund.
“Where are our extra tip tickets? Or a free second bin? A discount/rebate on our rates for all of the stuff we have paid for but not been able to access. This is so outrageous,” Taylor Crimmins posted.
Helena Condon said residents were getting a substandard service for bin and recycling collection while still grappling with “huge piles of tinder dry (storm) debris on nature strips, just waiting for someone to set off a flare or similar into it”.
However, another local said waste collection on the peninsula “hadn’t missed a beat” during the pandemic.
“We’re all clever enough to cope with storing the extra and gradually getting rid of it,” Heather Phillips said.
Staff at the Rosebud Solo Resource and Recovery office told the Leader that the cancellation was “a council decision”.
Solo’s headquarters in Queensland have been contacted.
The shire’s decision came after yet another an increase in the waste services levy of $16 taking the annual fee to $338.
Residents with green waste bins have to pay $140 on top of the levy.
In July the shire introduced a tough new policy to enable it to ban bad recyclers, fine them up to $660 and force them to attend education sessions in a crack down on bin breaches.
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