Much has been published and said by councillors and some vocal supporters in recent weeks about the council’s decision to support weekly general rubbish collection. The councillors that put up the motion to rescind the council’s decision to restore weekly general rubbish collection included many unsupported and blatantly incorrect statements in their motion, so the remaining councillors put together the below document to correct the facts.
Please download the following document below, noting it was approved by Councillors Kellander, Tyler, Grima and me.
Here’s also some of what I had to say at tonight’s council meeting in support of the vote for weekly rubbish collections:
“We have been discussing this as a council – amongst ourselves as councillors, with the Council Administration, with the community and have heard thousands of residents from all sides of the debate. I will be voting against the rescission motion tonight and continue to support the resolution passed by the Council last Tuesday night.
I believe in a minimum basic service level for waste services and believe that includes having general waste collected by council every week. That’s not too much to expect.
This is not to say the council will not continue to raise awareness and support reducing waste and increasing recycling – amongst other environmental initiatives and education programs. We must care for the environment, but limiting a service so that it’s only accessible to families and residents that can afford to upsize their bin is not the answer.
Despite comments by some and the fake news mentioned previously:
• Reduction of landfull waste will continue;
• The four bin system will continue;
• The messaging and awareness raising of environmental issues and the need to reduce waste and increase recycling will continue;
• FOGO will continue;
• The purple bin for glass recycling will continue to be collected; and
• Importantly, the council will continue to seek continual improvement to gain environmental outcomes and improved service levels in relation to our waste services.
We can do all of those things while still collecting people’s rubbish weekly.”
