Residents spend close to $500k on additional bins

Northern Beaches Council’s #BinGate saga continues, as it was revealed residents have spent more than $497,000 on extra bins to supplement their new waste service.

Of the 13,431 requests for a second bin, nearly half were for an additional red garbage bin service.

According to Councillor Vincent De Luca OAM, whose Questions to Council revealed these figures, such requests for extra garbage bins are likely a result of many residents being reduced from a 120L to 80L bin under the new contract.

“A significant number of residents have stated the size of the new bins is not enough and have been forced to purchase additional bins,” he tells Peninsula Living.

“So, residents allege this whole new bin scheme has been an underhanded way for Council to make money, which is saddening.”

It was also revealed that Council has received 6,474 requests from residents for the removal of their old bins since the rollout commenced in March, through to 9 August 2019.

While Northern Beaches Council acknowledged there had been some initial issues with the rollout project, it maintained that, of the properties that were required to reduce the size of their red garbage bin, only 11 per cent had requested an additional service.

It also stated, while some of the old bins had been inadvertently missed during the collection rounds, “many have not been presented for collection until recently”.

“There has been some operational challenges and teething issues with the bin roll out and introduction of the new waste service and we thank the community for their patience,” Mayor Michael Regan tells Peninsula Living.

“Once it is bedded in, we know we have contracted a better service with better environmental outcomes and one of the cheapest waste services in the Sydney area.”