Waste a big ticket item for council candidates

Altona's Patrick Walsh says "even with a newborn, we have room to spare in the 120 litre garbage bin and often let neighbours fill it up. Recycling is never filled due to crushing and green waste is shared with neighbours too."

Goya Dmytryshchak

Multiple Hobsons Bay council candidates are running for election on a platform of allowing people to upsize to a bigger rubbish bin for free and/or restore weekly garbage collection.

In February, the council cut garbage collections from weekly to fortnightly under a new four-bin recycling system.

The new service comprises weekly food and garden organics (FOGO) collection, fortnightly garbage and recycling collections, and monthly glass collection.

It costs $90 to upsize from a 120 litre bin to a 240 litre bin. An additional 240 litre rubbish bin is $230, while an extra 120 litre rubbish bin is $140.

Cherry Lake ward candidate Daria Kellander said she “supported a review to provide an effective bin system.”

Wetlands ward candidate and Hobsons Bay Residents Association co-convenor Amanda Hill said she “led the campaign for a weekly rubbish collection to be reinstated while supporting improved recycling”.

Wetlands’ Ranbri Lambra said he stood for “an efficient waste collection system developed with community consultation”, Stephen Currie wanted “more hygienic solutions to waste and more bins where we need them”, Diana Grima promised “increasing general waste collection without charging”, and Matt Tyler said council should “deliver on the basics including weekly bin collection for those that need it”.

In Strand ward, candidate Damian Giri vowed to “review the waste management debacle and ensure residents have the right size bin for their needs at no cost,” Lisa Bentley promised “regular rubbish collections that meet community expectations”, Lachlan Christie said “bi-weekly landfill collection has failed to meet the needs of the community” and Angus Ward wanted to “allow the option of weekly landfill for those that need it”.

Under the 2020-21 budget, the annual charge is $227 for the standard four bins: a 120 litre rubbish bin, 120 litre food and garden bin, 120 litre glass bin and 240 litre mixed recycling bin.

There is a $193 charge for multi-unit developments, apartments and villages with shared bins.

The council said “the standard waste charge last financial year was $222.70”.

“The cost of the additional 240 litre green waste service was $11.30 – the total being $234.

“Residents have the option to downsize the green waste service to the standard 120 litre bin.

“If you choose to do this, your waste service charges will revert to $227.”