27 September 2016

Green bins for all in next term: ALP

| Charlotte
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LaborGardenWaste

Labor will if elected extend its planned rollout of green bins for garden waste to the whole city after earlier promising an April 2017 pilot program in Weston Creek and Kambah followed by a mid-2017 start for Tuggeranong.

The rollout would continue to Belconnen suburbs in mid-2018, the inner north, inner south and Woden in mid-2019 and Gungahlin and Hall in mid-2020.

According to Labor, 80 per cent of the city will be able to access a green bin within a little over two years of the scheme starting.

Residents will have the option of opting out, and those who opt in will pay a $50 deposit for the green bin.

LaborGreenBins

Minister for Municipal Services Meegan Fitzharris said Labor had listened to ACT residents on the issue.

“Green bins really matter to the Canberra community, so we’re really pleased to announce today the rollout across the whole city in the next term of government so that every household can access a green bin,” she said.

The party would also introduce a suburb-by-suburb bulky waste pickup service for every Canberra home to allow residents to dispose of large, unwanted household items like fridges or couches.

“Every suburb, every year will have bulky waste pickup, but we’ll also be funding the really terrific charity Givit to come to Canberra and establish a service here,” Ms Fitzharris said.

“If you have something that you want to give to someone who really needs it, Givit will be the connector for you.”

The Liberals took a policy of green bins for the whole Territory to the last ACT election but have yet to announce their position on the issue this campaign.

Pictured above are Fraser resident Fran Corcoran, Minister for Municipal Services Meegan Fitzharris and Chief Minister Andrew Barr with Labor’s candidates for Ginninderra Tara Cheyne, Yvette Berry (sitting MLA and Labor Minister), Chris Bourke (sitting MLA and Labor Minister), Gordon Ramsay and Kim Fischer in Ms Corcoran’s backyard. Photos and video: Charlotte Harper

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justin heywood said :

Good ideas this. It’s amazing how keen politicians become on serving our basic needs when they put their minds to it.

I think we should have much more of these elections things.

Agreed. Finally, green bins and hard rubbish collections like all other capital city residents in Australia. It’s only taken them 10 years.
I still reckon we could do with an audit of municipal services to see where our money actually goes, compared to (e.g.) Queanbeyan Council and/or a western Sydney Council such as Baulkham Hills.

The image in this article has Andrew Barr next to a bin which has the CBR logo on it.

I am immediately suspicious that this scheme may be a way to “back-door” fund the CBR “project”.

Does anyone know who is actually going to collect the bins and who is going to receive and process the contents? How much will this cost ratepayers?

Maya123 said :

rommeldog56 said :

Good point. Perhaps a “Green Bins” levy on each and every Annual Rates bill, regardless of opting in or out.?

What justification is your argument for this, other than perhaps you plan to get a green bin and want others to subsidise you.

Justification ? It has to be paid for and it is very expensive as per ACT Labor/Greens comments last time it was raised. Unless its full cost recovery from users who “opt in”, then the cost will be borne by all ACT Ratepayers, whether they use it or not.

And no, I wont be opting in – no need.

justin heywood4:39 pm 27 Sep 16

Good ideas this. It’s amazing how keen politicians become on serving our basic needs when they put their minds to it.

I think we should have much more of these elections things.

creative_canberran4:25 pm 27 Sep 16

Garfield said :

The $50 deposit might take care of delivering the bin to each household, but how much is the ongoing service going to add to everyone’s Rates bills? Privately owned and operated trash pack services do a pretty good job at the moment for a reasonable price, but they’ll all be out of business once this comes in.

To be clear you need to elect in most cases for your green waste to go to green recycling with a trash pack service, otherwise you just send it to tip with those services and its wasted, save for some of the biomass being recouped.

You do raise a valid question though. Collection is where the cost for this service comes in, and it will vary depending on the demand for the service too long term. There’s probably arguments that diverting some stuff from landfill reduced the landfill cost and extends its life. There’s also the fact that private companies who pay tax here and employ locals process the green waste, so there’s a benefit from that, and they might even arrange some greater return from those companies who produce a product with free inputs basically.

rommeldog56 said :

How many private sector existing jobs/businesses will this “initiative” destroy ?

How many will it create?

rommeldog56 said :

Good point. Perhaps a “Green Bins” levy on each and every Annual Rates bill, regardless of opting in or out.?

What justification is your argument for this, other than perhaps you plan to get a green bin and want others to subsidise you.

I have noticed that many present green bins have had their green lids replaced with red; likely in case green waste is introduced, but if the bin wasn’t out out it missed out. In my case most weeks my green bin is not put out, so its lid is still green.

Garfield said :

The $50 deposit might take care of delivering the bin to each household, but how much is the ongoing service going to add to everyone’s Rates bills?

Good point. Perhaps a “Green Bins” levy on each and every Annual Rates bill, regardless of opting in or out.

Has ACT labor/Greens said how much it will cost ? If not, its just another “blank cheque” uncosted promise like stage 2 of the tram is. I recall a while ago, ACT Labor/Greens poo poo’ed the idea of greens bins because there were private sector providers and because it was too expensive.

How many private sector existing jobs/businesses will this “initiative” destroy ?

Charlotte Harper2:08 pm 27 Sep 16

TuggLife said :

I have a question (well, a few questions, really) about this scheme that I haven’t been able to have answered yet, about the opt-in component.

How does it work for renters? Does the tenant or the landlord pay the $50 set-up fee? Once paid, who does the bin or service belong to? What happens when the tenant moves – can they take the bin and service with them? If it belongs to the landlord, what happens if the tenant would like a bin, but the landlord doesn’t want to pay the $50?

Very good questions! I’ve contacted Ms Fitzharris’s office to ask about this for you, @TuggLife, and will add their response in here.

I have a question (well, a few questions, really) about this scheme that I haven’t been able to have answered yet, about the opt-in component.

How does it work for renters? Does the tenant or the landlord pay the $50 set-up fee? Once paid, who does the bin or service belong to? What happens when the tenant moves – can they take the bin and service with them? If it belongs to the landlord, what happens if the tenant would like a bin, but the landlord doesn’t want to pay the $50?

The $50 deposit might take care of delivering the bin to each household, but how much is the ongoing service going to add to everyone’s Rates bills? Privately owned and operated trash pack services do a pretty good job at the moment for a reasonable price, but they’ll all be out of business once this comes in.

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