13 July 2016

Missed bin collections

| Michael Reid
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rubbish

Due to industrial action, residents in Weston Creek, Woden and Tuggeranong will not have their household waste and recycling bins collected tomorrow (Tuesday 24 May).

The action is being taken by the drivers employed by contractor SUEZ.

“Due to the large number of suburbs impacted by the industrial action today and tomorrow, catch up collection services will unfortunately not be possible,” Michael Trushell, the director of ACT NOWaste said on Monday.

“To help minimise the impact to residents, the ACT government and contractor SUEZ have established a range of contingency arrangements.

“From today through to Sunday 29 May, five temporary drop-off sites for the disposal of waste and recycling have been established in affected areas.

“Residents will be able to come along to these locations and drop off any rubbish for free.”

The temporary sites will be open from 6am to 8pm and are located at:

  • Calwell – in the car park adjacent to the parkland area off Outtrim Avenue
  • Kambah – outside the ACT Parks and Conservation Service Depot off Chirnside Circuit
  • Weston Creek – in the car park adjacent to the parkland area off Hilder Street
  • Phillip – in the car park north-east of Callum Offices off Easty Street
  • Tuggeranong – within the car park opposite Abode Apartments off Anketell and Cowlishaw Streets.

Excess household waste of up to two large plastic garbage bags, or the equivalent of a green bin in volume, can be disposed of for free at both the Mitchell and Mugga Lane Resource Management Centres until Sunday. Proof of address such as driver’s licence will need to be provided to demonstrate the resident is from a suburb whose bins were scheduled for collection on Monday and Tuesday.

Recyclable materials can be deposited for free at the six regional recycling drop-off centres. Additional collection services will again be scheduled for the centres to help cope with the expected increase in the recyclable material being disposed of by affected residents.

Trushell said the ACT government would continue to keep the community informed about the industrial action including any further impacts to residents and alternative disposal options.

“We have installed signage throughout all of the affected suburbs to ensure residents are aware of the disruptions to bin collections this week. Radio and Facebook advertising is also being used to help inform the community.

“Information is also available on the Territory and Municipal Services website at www.tams.act.gov.au, by following @tamsmediaroom on Twitter, liking the ACT Government Facebook page, downloading the free MyWaste app or by calling Access Canberra on 13 22 81.”

Suburbs affected by tomorrow’s industrial action are: Banks, Gilmore*, O’Malley*, Bonython, Gordon, Phillip*, Calwell, Gowrie*, Richardson*, Chisholm*, Isaacs*, Swinger Hill*, Conder, Isabella Plains, Tharwa, Fadden*, Macarthur* Theodore, Garran* Monash*, Wanniassa*.

* Recycling collections also scheduled on this day.

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bundahgal said :

Felix the Cat said :

gooterz said :

ungruntled said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Do you know where QCC delivers and processes the green waste that is collected?

No, do you? I assume it goes to someone who turns it into mulch, as happens in the ACT with green waste at the tip.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think all waste collected in Queanbeyan goes to the Mugga Lane Landfill in which case the green waste would have to separated first as householders have to do in Canberra.
I am sure very few Canberrans keep green waste out of their garbage bin even though there are signs on the bin not to put it in so the only way to get rid of it is to process it at the home and re-use it as mulch or drive to one of the green disposal points in Canberra to dispose of it. Both of these options are inefficient compared to having a green waste bin as Queanbeyan does.
The inclusion of green organic waste in putrecible land fill waste corrupts the process and causes leeching and odour problems years after. It also uses up the landfill space that could be used by disposable nappies.
The ACT is supposed to be a world leader in waste management but they fail badly on this issue.

So is are your mob going to change this if elected? Might be a good reason to vote for them rather tab vote for them to kick the other mob out. Which seems to be their election platform at present.

Though my guess is probably not as that would be a green policy wouldn’t it?

I don’t know who you are referring to when you say “your mob” because I am not a member of any political party or association.
Perhaps you could apply all that knowledge you possess (or have access to) and comment on the how the problem could be fixed instead.

No need to comment JC, the matter has been resolved positively my the current Labor government as reported elsewhere on this blog today.
You may also note that the Canberra Liberals had greens bins as policy.

Felix the Cat said :

gooterz said :

ungruntled said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Do you know where QCC delivers and processes the green waste that is collected?

No, do you? I assume it goes to someone who turns it into mulch, as happens in the ACT with green waste at the tip.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think all waste collected in Queanbeyan goes to the Mugga Lane Landfill in which case the green waste would have to separated first as householders have to do in Canberra.
I am sure very few Canberrans keep green waste out of their garbage bin even though there are signs on the bin not to put it in so the only way to get rid of it is to process it at the home and re-use it as mulch or drive to one of the green disposal points in Canberra to dispose of it. Both of these options are inefficient compared to having a green waste bin as Queanbeyan does.
The inclusion of green organic waste in putrecible land fill waste corrupts the process and causes leeching and odour problems years after. It also uses up the landfill space that could be used by disposable nappies.
The ACT is supposed to be a world leader in waste management but they fail badly on this issue.

So is are your mob going to change this if elected? Might be a good reason to vote for them rather tab vote for them to kick the other mob out. Which seems to be their election platform at present.

Though my guess is probably not as that would be a green policy wouldn’t it?

I don’t know who you are referring to when you say “your mob” because I am not a member of any political party or association.
Perhaps you could apply all that knowledge you possess (or have access to) and comment on the how the problem could be fixed instead.

rommeldog56 said :

If we can set aside new trams and old trees for a moment, does anyone know what penalty provisions are provided in the contract that was entered into with SUEZ by our representatives on our behalf?

Thanks in anticipation.

I heard the boss of garbage collections in TAMS say on 2CC radio this morning, that failure to collect the rubbish is NOT a breach of the contract with the ACT Government to collect said garbage. Go figure……..

I’m sure the contents of the contract and any penalty provisions/liquidated damages, will be “commercial in confidence” so can not be released.

gooterz said :

ungruntled said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Do you know where QCC delivers and processes the green waste that is collected?

No, do you? I assume it goes to someone who turns it into mulch, as happens in the ACT with green waste at the tip.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think all waste collected in Queanbeyan goes to the Mugga Lane Landfill in which case the green waste would have to separated first as householders have to do in Canberra.
I am sure very few Canberrans keep green waste out of their garbage bin even though there are signs on the bin not to put it in so the only way to get rid of it is to process it at the home and re-use it as mulch or drive to one of the green disposal points in Canberra to dispose of it. Both of these options are inefficient compared to having a green waste bin as Queanbeyan does.
The inclusion of green organic waste in putrecible land fill waste corrupts the process and causes leeching and odour problems years after. It also uses up the landfill space that could be used by disposable nappies.
The ACT is supposed to be a world leader in waste management but they fail badly on this issue.

So is are your mob going to change this if elected? Might be a good reason to vote for them rather tab vote for them to kick the other mob out. Which seems to be their election platform at present.

Though my guess is probably not as that would be a green policy wouldn’t it?

ungruntled said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Do you know where QCC delivers and processes the green waste that is collected?

No, do you? I assume it goes to someone who turns it into mulch, as happens in the ACT with green waste at the tip.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think all waste collected in Queanbeyan goes to the Mugga Lane Landfill in which case the green waste would have to separated first as householders have to do in Canberra.
I am sure very few Canberrans keep green waste out of their garbage bin even though there are signs on the bin not to put it in so the only way to get rid of it is to process it at the home and re-use it as mulch or drive to one of the green disposal points in Canberra to dispose of it. Both of these options are inefficient compared to having a green waste bin as Queanbeyan does.
The inclusion of green organic waste in putrecible land fill waste corrupts the process and causes leeching and odour problems years after. It also uses up the landfill space that could be used by disposable nappies.
The ACT is supposed to be a world leader in waste management but they fail badly on this issue.

This whole discussion sounds like a load of garbage to me…………

If we can set aside new trams and old trees for a moment, does anyone know what penalty provisions are provided in the contract that was entered into with SUEZ by our representatives on our behalf?

Thanks in anticipation.

wildturkeycanoe said :

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Do you know where QCC delivers and processes the green waste that is collected?

No, do you? I assume it goes to someone who turns it into mulch, as happens in the ACT with green waste at the tip.

martinrev21 said :

wottaway said :

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Yes, it is. Nowhere else has such a good rate of landfill diversion of green waste without a green waste collection service. It’s a challenge to make the case for spending new public money to provide a service for a problem that is currently managed by households themselves without cost to the government.

I agree there should be a green waste bin (though my trash pack provider would not), but the challenge is how to pay for it.

I’d happily divert my Trashpack payments to extra rates to get a green waste bin.

And I’m sure the trashpack people would happily contract to the Govt to collect green waste…so why does the Govt continue to talk about spending millions on some facility to separate organic waste from landfill?

wottaway said :

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Yes, it is. Nowhere else has such a good rate of landfill diversion of green waste without a green waste collection service. It’s a challenge to make the case for spending new public money to provide a service for a problem that is currently managed by households themselves without cost to the government.

I agree there should be a green waste bin (though my trash pack provider would not), but the challenge is how to pay for it.

I’d happily divert my Trashpack payments to extra rates to get a green waste bin.

wottaway said :

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Yes, it is. Nowhere else has such a good rate of landfill diversion of green waste without a green waste collection service. It’s a challenge to make the case for spending new public money to provide a service for a problem that is currently managed by households themselves without cost to the government.

I agree there should be a green waste bin (though my trash pack provider would not), but the challenge is how to pay for it.

The part about zero cost to the government isn’t really looking at the big picture though. The government is merely a centralised convenient way for all of us to pay for things. It’s the cost to the community in total that actually matters. If it’s more expensive for everyone to get a trailer and take it to the tip or get trash packs, compared to a universal service with economies of scale, then it’s actually costing us more that way.

I’m not saying that’s definitely the case here, but that’s the way we should think about these sorts of services.

It is a political problem for the politicians to try to pay for things….but that’s really their personal problem, not the community’s.

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Do you know where QCC delivers and processes the green waste that is collected?

drfelonious said :

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

Yes, it is. Nowhere else has such a good rate of landfill diversion of green waste without a green waste collection service. It’s a challenge to make the case for spending new public money to provide a service for a problem that is currently managed by households themselves without cost to the government.

I agree there should be a green waste bin (though my trash pack provider would not), but the challenge is how to pay for it.

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Everyone driving their own little quantities of green waste to the tip seems a pretty unsustainable approach. Seriously, every other jurisdiction I visit, whether it be Queanbeyan, on the South Coast, in Melbourne or in Sydney, has a green waste collection. Is Canberra really that different?

devils_advocate said :

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Read #22 and go to the link. That’s how it can be done.

I would suggest it should be the recycling bin that goes out every week and the general bin once a fortnight, but it’s likely that some people who have full bins every week (most are likely not sorting properly to manage that) would, after their rubbish bin is full, treat their recycling bin as a rubbish bin and add to their neighbour’s bin too. Then there is rubbish dumped in the bush. You can’t expect people who can’t sort their rubbish, produce too much to care where their rubbish goes. Then we would have a lot of complaining on here that two weeks is too long, as they have too much rubbish for a fortnight’s service. It would not matter how many people could manage easily, including large households, with a fortnightly collection, they ‘somehow’ can’t.
Another way would be to weight each household’s rubbish as it gets picked up, but again that would fail, because some households see it as their right to produce as much rubbish as they want and be subsidised by those who are more careful. They would be sneaking it into the neighbours bin and dumping it in the bush rather than pay an optional fee. And there would be more complaints here.

But don’t worry, the wasters might soon come out on top again. I had a survey about how water bills are calculated. The suggestion is to raise the supply charges and to lower the water consumption charges. The supply charges alone will be about double what I pay for my whole water bill now, and then my water use will be added.

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

It’s not that complicated. Canberra does really well in terms of green waste not going to landfill because we have an established culture of self-haul. Whether it’s trailers, ute-loads, bags or via trash packs, green waste currently goes into recycling with little to no expenditure by government. To provide a kerb side green waste collection, the ACT Government would have to take on a significant new cost (either copping it or passing it on in rates & charges) that would not necessarily generate much benefit in either economic or environmental terms.

I support the introduction of a combined green waste / food waste collection bin at kerbside in Canberra, but concede funding this would be a challenge. It’s hard to make the numbers stack up. A food/green waste integrated collection might mean you could switch the landfill bin to a fortnightly collection schedule, delivering some savings, but there would be howls of ‘they-took-our-bins’ protest to manage if the government went down that path.

Mordd said :

Why can’t our local council look after the local council stuff, like picking up the garbage, rather than privatising what is core business? How can we trust the ACT Government to run a $1 billion 12-kilometre tram track when it can’t solve a kerbside garbage collection issue?

You forgot to highlight that both garbage collection and the “polly trolley folly” are/will be controlled by the TWU.

creative_canberran said :

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

Light rail is Green waste, however won’t fit in your average wheelie bin!

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

They let Shepparton do it instead:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/where-are-the-bags-shepparton-councils-17m-bin-scheme-comes-unstuck/news-story/a9c7428c8a72cf140ca2daf5d738b4df

I am a Rabbit™10:06 pm 25 May 16

Apparently the new contractor (Suez) cut severance pay of the drivers despite them having been explicitly told that it wouldn’t happen. Putting aside the absurdly high pay rates, I think most people would somewhat sympathise with the drivers if they knew what the strike was about.

wildturkeycanoe said :

More Labor government waste ?

I reckon! How about that blue sky that we’ve been seeing since Labor came into power?! That travesty would never have happened under a Liberal government!

Why can’t our local council look after the local council stuff, like picking up the garbage, rather than privatising what is core business? How can we trust the ACT Government to run a $1 billion 12-kilometre tram track when it can’t solve a kerbside garbage collection issue?

HiddenDragon5:38 pm 25 May 16

No blockade this time, so quite polite, so far….

http://the-riotact.com/garbage-trucks-on-london-circuit/117318

Mordd said :

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin.

I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

Every excuse the ACT Govt makes in response to the green waste bin question is incomprehensible to me.

More Labor government waste ?

we pay Michael Trushell,the director of” NO WASTE ” to tell us there is TOO MUCH WASTE to catch up on.

Why is there a director of no waste when clearly there is hundreds of tonnes of waste.

Light rail just went up 250 million in a few days . That’s also a lot of waste for most Canberran’s except for the few people that may use it for 20 minutes a day.

I think the recycling bins should be collected every week along with the “rubbish” bin. I generally put both bins out on recycling day, neither are full but I know people who have their recycling bin over-flowing by bin day.

Whatever happened to the “green waste” bins they were going to bring in?

crackerpants12:11 pm 25 May 16

rommeldog56 said :

Masquara said :

chewy14 said :

gooterz said :

Mordd said :

DavidL said :

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

Totally, we’re a larger family, and our landfill bin is less than one-fifth full each week. Recycling, composting and redcycling (soft plastic recycling via Coles) doesn’t leave much else.

What about the disposable nappies?

One child still uses a few a week. This is is much of our green bin load each week.

We’re in much the same situation – we’re a family of 5, and fill one grocery bag with rubbish every week. We put it out to keep the recycling bin company. We compost all our food waste (we’re vegetarian so no meat/maggot issues), pet waste, tissues, some paper waste and garden waste. We have a trashpack for bulk garden waste (large prunings and weeds). Our youngest also uses a few nappies per week. We regularly send out cereal boxes and egg cartons to meet school/daycare requests for construction materials.

I do think the strike needs to be resolved, but I’d like to see an overhaul of rubbish collection in the longer term. Our recycling bin is overflowing after two weeks, but it takes weeks to fill our green bin. I think collecting green bins every two weeks should be realistic for most people, with perhaps a little extra effort put into recycling (at home and using govt services).

Maybe we could have a garden waste bin to replace the trashpack, with alternating weeks of landfill/green waste collection?

Perfect 🙂

Masquara said :

chewy14 said :

gooterz said :

Mordd said :

DavidL said :

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

Totally, we’re a larger family, and our landfill bin is less than one-fifth full each week. Recycling, composting and redcycling (soft plastic recycling via Coles) doesn’t leave much else.

What about the disposable nappies?

One child still uses a few a week. This is is much of our green bin load each week.

We’re in much the same situation – we’re a family of 5, and fill one grocery bag with rubbish every week. We put it out to keep the recycling bin company. We compost all our food waste (we’re vegetarian so no meat/maggot issues), pet waste, tissues, some paper waste and garden waste. We have a trashpack for bulk garden waste (large prunings and weeds). Our youngest also uses a few nappies per week. We regularly send out cereal boxes and egg cartons to meet school/daycare requests for construction materials.

I do think the strike needs to be resolved, but I’d like to see an overhaul of rubbish collection in the longer term. Our recycling bin is overflowing after two weeks, but it takes weeks to fill our green bin. I think collecting green bins every two weeks should be realistic for most people, with perhaps a little extra effort put into recycling (at home and using govt services).

Maybe we could have a garden waste bin to replace the trashpack, with alternating weeks of landfill/green waste collection?

Spiral said :

DavidL said :

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

Do you point out which weeks in the year you won’t need a collection at the start of the period or do you pick and choose as it goes on? How much would you put the price of that choice?

So, tell me where I can nominate a rubbish pick up and get a discount for the missed weeks and I’ll do it. You’re the one suggesting this idea. All I said, was that I had accepted I wasn’t getting a discount for the weeks (more not out than out) I wasn’t putting my bin out. I wasn’t making a complaint about missing ONE week of rubbish pick-up.

I really hope the contract was written properly by the ACT government such that no tax payer dollars are going towards this contractor for services not rendered! In fact there should be financial penalties applied to the contractor for each day that the service is not provided, especially since it’s increasing ACT Government costs in other areas. If not, these garbos are costing the community greatly.

Is it really worth it when they’re apparently the best paid in the country and earn above the average wage? Seems selfish to me. What did I do to them, for them to inconvenience me like this? Why don’t they just refuse to collect garbage for their employer’s building or something?

crackerpants7:42 am 25 May 16

chewy14 said :

gooterz said :

Mordd said :

DavidL said :

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

Totally, we’re a larger family, and our landfill bin is less than one-fifth full each week. Recycling, composting and redcycling (soft plastic recycling via Coles) doesn’t leave much else.

What about the disposable nappies?

One child still uses a few a week. This is is much of our green bin load each week.

We’re in much the same situation – we’re a family of 5, and fill one grocery bag with rubbish every week. We put it out to keep the recycling bin company. We compost all our food waste (we’re vegetarian so no meat/maggot issues), pet waste, tissues, some paper waste and garden waste. We have a trashpack for bulk garden waste (large prunings and weeds). Our youngest also uses a few nappies per week. We regularly send out cereal boxes and egg cartons to meet school/daycare requests for construction materials.

I do think the strike needs to be resolved, but I’d like to see an overhaul of rubbish collection in the longer term. Our recycling bin is overflowing after two weeks, but it takes weeks to fill our green bin. I think collecting green bins every two weeks should be realistic for most people, with perhaps a little extra effort put into recycling (at home and using govt services).

gooterz said :

Mordd said :

DavidL said :

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

Totally, we’re a larger family, and our landfill bin is less than one-fifth full each week. Recycling, composting and redcycling (soft plastic recycling via Coles) doesn’t leave much else.

What about the disposable nappies?

One child still uses a few a week. This is is much of our green bin load each week.

DavidL said :

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

Do you point out which weeks in the year you won’t need a collection at the start of the period or do you pick and choose as it goes on? How much would you put the price of that choice?

Mordd said :

DavidL said :

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

Totally, we’re a larger family, and our landfill bin is less than one-fifth full each week. Recycling, composting and redcycling (soft plastic recycling via Coles) doesn’t leave much else.

What about the disposable nappies?

DavidL said :

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

Totally, we’re a larger family, and our landfill bin is less than one-fifth full each week. Recycling, composting and redcycling (soft plastic recycling via Coles) doesn’t leave much else.

So thanks to the bright sparks that banned plastic bags in Canberra, I’m supposed to go out and buy plastic bags to then fish out of my bin the used tampons, food scraps, dog poo and other non-recyclable rubbishy to place them in said purchased plastic bag and personally deliver them to the rubbish dump during my work hours when I’m supposed to be at work or forgo the kids weekend activities because a bunch of garbage collectors want to go on strike to prove they need to be paid above their station for the university degree that was required to obtain such a rocket science job of driving a truck, lining it up with a bin and pressing a few buttons? And it’s not just one week this is said to be happening!!!!!!!! This is why Canberra is the butt of jokes….

Zan said :

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

I would like a refund too for the weeks I don’t put out my bin, because it’s not full enough. I don’t put out my bin for more weeks than I do put it out. But I long ago accepted that I must help subsidise all the people who put a bin out most weeks. (Likely you, or you wouldn’t have complained here.) But it isn’t going to happen for me, and most weeks I don’t use the service, as least for general rubbish.
It’s only one week; you should be able to hold out for that.

I am considering some “industrial action” of my own over this.
Usually, at Christmas, I give a six-pack of beer to the drivers who carry out these services.
This year, I will open each bottle and pour off an amount of beer commensurate with the number of services we did not get.
Also, it will be light beer from now on.

Under the contract, I would assume that the ACT Gov’t will not pay the contractor for the collections missed. There should also be provision for Liquidated Damages to be paid by the contractor.

Therefore, the ACT Gov’t must give affected households/ratepayers a proportional refund on their Annual Rates.

If they don’t, its a windfall financial gain for the ACT Labor/Greens Gov’t.

What action is the government taking against the operator?
Or are we just sitting here paying for a service not provided?

What a joke!
We can drop off the stuff for “free”?
This must mean we get a rebate on our rates for the service we pay for but aren’t getting?
Right?
No.
Why call it “industrial action”; is “strike” not politically correct anymore.

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