Improving recycling services for multi-unit dwellings continues to be on Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s radar.
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A report to the July council meeting outlined a proposal to undertake an education program and provide incentives for multi-unit development to supply increased recycling options.
The council has applied for a $253,000 Waste Less, Recycle More Initiative – Organics Collections Grant.
The grant contains a specific option for multi-unit dwelling trials including a trial to roll-out food and organic services to units without this service.
The council will know the result of the grant application in December.
The detailed education program, which is still in development, is expected to be carried out in two stages.
There would be initial engagement on recycling options and potential changes to the availability charge.
That would be followed with site visits, a service review and visual audit.
New services would be suggested and negotiated with the property manager and a further site visit would be carried out to install the service.
Deputy mayor Cr Lisa Intemann said she looked forward to the consultation.
Cr Rob Turner said he would like to see the matter forged ahead a bit faster.
“I think it probably needs a little bit more urgency so I’m keen to see some progress in the near future,” he said.
Waste services provision for multi-unit dwellings largely depends on the size of the complex and falls into three categories – availability, shared and individual.
All multi-unit dwellings with individual or shared services have access to the three waste streams (general waste, yellow recycling and green organics) collection services provided by the council’s waste contractor.
The availability category covers large complexes of more than four units where general waste (red bin) collection (and in some instances yellow and green bin recycling) is undertaken by a contractor.
The council report said an option to encourage greater yellow and green bin recycling would be to increase the waste availability charge to around $230 for 2018-2019 financial year.
“This would cover the cost of council providing both yellow and green bins or alternatively the charge could be reduced to $75 (a similar level to vacant residential land) where all red, yellow and green bins were collected by private contractor,” the report said.
It is proposed that council consider options for increasing the availability charge in conjunction with a further report on recycling education programs.