RESIDENTS who failed to book a household bulky goods kerbside pick up before last Friday have missed the deadline for a free pick up.
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Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will this week collect items left on the front lawns of households registered for the region’s final free pick up before changes to the domestic waste management collection service commence on September 1.
Anyone who did not register by last Friday for the free pickup, and who have left items on the kerbside, will need to use free tip vouchers issued with their July rates notice to dispose of their items at a waste transfer station at Port Macquarie, Cairncross, Wauchope, Dunbogan or Comboyne. Alternatively, residents can pay $32 and arrange council’s waste contractor to collect their items as a part of the new pay-as-you-go system.
And council has issued a warning to ratepayers who fail to appropriately dispose of kerbside rubbish – you may face a fine of up to $200 for illegal dumping.
Director of development and environment, Matt Rogers, said there had been a marked increase in the number of households leaving items out on the front lawn for collection in the lead up to changes to the bin collection service.
"Council will be taking action to deal with dumped kerbside bulky garbage where prior arrangements have not been made for its proper collection,” Mr Rogers said.
“Where residents fail to make the necessary arrangements with JRR for collection and do not respond to requests for the material to be removed, they risk a $200 fine."
Meanwhile, from Monday, all residents across the local government area must use their new red bin in line with the official shift to fortnightly collection. Thousands of red and yellow bins have been distributed to households in preparation for the waste collection changes.
Council has reminded residents that collection days will remain the same and only the new red bins will be emptied by roadside waste trucks.
Mr Rogers said the rollout of the domestic waste service changes has been an enormous undertaking and a result of long-term planning.
“Logistically it has been a huge undertaking but thanks to ongoing engagement with residents we are confident the transition to the new service will be relatively easy,” Mr Rogers said.
Residents will be able to retain their old bins for storage purposes after the new service commences or leave them upside down on the kerb from September 8 to be taken away for recycling.