Goya Dmytryshchak
Hobsons Bay council will spend up to $60,000 to ask every resident and ratepayer how they feel about the new four-bin waste and recycling system.
Newly-elected councillor Matt Tyler moved a motion at last week’s council meeting for community consultation “given recycling 2.0 was introduced relatively quickly” a year ago.
Rubbish collection was cut to once a fortnight after the council last February rolled out a four-bin system to separate general waste, glass, mixed recyclables, and food and green waste.
All residents and ratepayers will receive a mail-out that includes a link to an online survey.
Households without internet access will be able to complete a hard copy survey.
Questions will canvas people’s preferences for collection frequency for each of the four bins, bin sizes, willingness to pay for more frequent rubbish collection or a bin upsize from 120 litres to 240 litres.
Cr Tyler’s motion states: “While community consultation will involve a one-off cost, it is a tiny fraction of the over $9 million paid by ratepayers in waste management charges for financial year 2020-21”.
“In reality, it’s a system that affects every resident and ratepayer and, yes, there’s a cost … I think we can afford to make the necessary investments in this consultation,” he told the meeting.
“I think the cost of failing to engage is much greater.”
Returned Cr Tony Briffa seconded the motion, saying it was important to hear from everyone.
“Let’s have that discussion, let’s not just hear from a nasty, loud few,” she said.
Three other new faces on the council supported the motion.
Cr Daria Kellander said it was “a contentious issue that impacts absolutely every single resident in our city” and Cr Diana Grima said she was “still consistently getting bombarded about this issue”.
Cr Pamela Sutton-Legaud said “the more feedback we get from the community the better, and to hear from a wide range of voices rather than, perhaps, a small group who have particular views”.
Returned councillors Peter Hemphill and mayor Jonathon Marsden also voted in favour, meaning the motion was unanimously carried.
