Free bulky waste collections are coming to Canberra. Photo: Supplied.
Bulky household waste such as furniture, white goods and household appliances will be collected from homes across the nation’s capital once a year for free in a new ACT Government scheme that will be rolled out from July next year.
Gungahlin and Tuggeranong residents will be the first Canberrans to enjoy a free household bulky waste collection service from July 2020, before a city-wide rollout over the next five years.
For the past eight years, only eligible concession cardholders had access to one free household bulky waste collection per year, but under the new scheme, households will receive a single collection per year based on a booking system.
The collection service is also likely to include a system to separate reusable items and recyclables such as metals and e-waste from landfill waste.
It is estimated Belconnen and Molonglo will join the scheme by 2021-22, before Woden Valley and Weston Creek in 2022-23 and the Inner North and suburbs in the south of Canberra the following year.
ACT Minister for City Services Chris Steel believes the rollout will cut down on illegal dumping, with over 1,178 reports of illegal dumping between 1 January and 31 July.
“We’re delivering on our election commitment to provide Canberra households with free bulky waste pick up to make it easier for people to dispose of household waste in a sustainable and accessible way,” Mr Steel said.
“Our guarantee to Canberrans is that we will continue to provide the services our growing city needs.
“We want to make it easier for Canberrans to get rid of unwanted items in a sustainable way, reducing illegal dumping around the city and in our nature reserves.”
Earlier this year, the ACT Government completed the rollout of green waste bins to all of Canberra and Mr Steel said it has started the detailed design of a food organics processing service.
“Not everyone has a trailer or large car to take their unwanted items to the Green Shed or the resource centre, and some Canberrans are physically unable to remove bulky items from their homes,” he said.
“We will provide an extension service available to residents who are unable to move the bulky goods from their home to the kerb themselves. This service will be provided for a fee, but will be free for eligible concession cardholders.”
Over the next three months, the ACT Government will focus on the detailed design of the service, looking at specifics such as the deployment of a booking system and to find a business to run the service.
Click here for more information on the bulky waste collection service.
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