Kerb pick-ups put to vote
THE council's kerbside bulk refuse collections are on the nose with council staffers who want to consign a proposal for divisional pick-ups, which they claim are too costly, too political and too risky, to the dustbin.
The waste and resources management infrastructure services report to yesterday's Sunshine Coast Council meeting gave the opt-in system to be paid for by divisional budget funds a thumbs down, with 11 listed disadvantages to such a system compared to four perceived benefits.
Reasons not to allow the clean-up include a costly diversion of funds from other projects, unsightly mounds of clutter being a tourist turn-off and asbestos materials posing a serious workplace, health and safety risk.
However, Noosa's Clean Up Australia organiser Joe Jurisevic has fired up over the council recommendation, saying that this thinking was typical of a "Maroochy-centric" regional council that had reduced services and raised tip fees which was triggering illegal dumping.
"Maroochy Council never wanted kerbside collections, this council does not want it and have put it in the too hard basket," Mr Jurisevic said.
Council as part of its waste minimisation strategy had rejected council-wide collections this year but Noosa Division 12 Councillor Tony Wellington had sought support for adoption of individual divisions funding their own kerbside pick-ups.
Council's latest estimation for divisions submitted yesterday in all divisions was more than $2 million, while Division 12 estimated annual cost, subject to contractor negotiations, would be $135,000. The service in the Noosa coastal areas in Division 11 was estimated to be the third highest at $223,600.
The staff calculation for disposal of kerbside items was put at $130 a tonne.
"Given the significant impacts on the developed capital works program, which has already been reduced by $9.5m, the implications of changes to funding priorities, unknown costs by waste contractors, conflicts with the waste minimisation strategy, absence of a user pays philosophy, inequity across divisional boundaries and a range of other disadvantages, staff do not support the provision of a divisional service using capital funding," the report states.
"The disadvantages of providing a kerbside bulk waste collection service far outweigh the advantages of providing the service. This is why many local governments have turned away from providing an annual kerbside service from previous years when it was more popular.
"Risks associated are examined including political risks involving public perception of inequity by residents who may not be included in the service."
The Noosa News will report on the outcome of the vote in Tuesday's edition.
