All Canberra suburbs will have a free bulky waste collection from July this year after the government announced it would fast-track extending the kerbside pick-up service.
The bulky waste collection service started in July last year in Tuggeranong and Gungahlin suburbs and the roll-out to the rest of Canberra was expected to take five years.
Belconnen and Molonglo were to join the scheme by 2021-22, before Woden Valley and Weston Creek in 2022-23 and the Inner North and Inner South the following year.
But Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel has decided to move the timetable forward.
The rollout will now start in Belconnen from April and all other Canberra suburbs from July.
Mr Steel said that by mid-2021 all Canberra households will be able to take advantage of one free bulky waste collection each year of up to two cubic metres for items such as old furniture and household appliances.
He said that since collections started last year more than 600 tonnes of material had been collected in Tuggeranong and Gungahlin, showing just how much demand there had been for the service.
“Whether people are moving house, doing a spring clean or making some space in their garage, there are often items that can’t be disposed of in a kerbside household bin and not everyone has a ute or trailer to be able to take the items to the tip,” he said.
Residents in Forde, Bonner, Gowrie, Conder, Fadden, Macarthur, Theodore, Amaroo, Wanniassa and Calwell have been the service’s biggest users.
The most common household items listed for collection include furniture, timber, scrap metal, appliances and electrical equipment.
Mr Steel said Suez, the contractor providing the service, was partnering with GIVIT, The Salvation Army, Vinnies and other charities to identify items that can be sold through their shopfronts or given to people in need.
In the seven months that the bulky waste collection service has been in operation, thousands of items have been given to Canberra charities.
“The bulky waste service has so far achieved a 38.8 per cent resource recovery rate which is a fantastic result, with items including furniture, bikes and gardening equipment being rehomed,” Mr Steel said.
“We also know that over the last three months alone more than 1,800 pieces of furniture, 400 appliances, 275 electrical items and 250 pieces of outdoor equipment have been rescued.
“Not only does this arrangement ensure vulnerable Canberrans have what they need, but it also diverts waste from landfill.”
Once the bulky waste collection service comes online in each region, residents will be able to book their free collection on the website or over the phone.
For more information on the bulky waste collection service visit www.act.gov.au/bulkywaste.