By Emily-Rose Toohey
After evaluating survey results regarding public interest in the kerbside waste collection expansion, Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) decided to make the service voluntary last week.
Cr Marco Gliori said he thought the decision was fair and reasonable.
“It’s been one of the more enjoyable decisions we’ve made,” Cr Gliori said.
“We shouldn’t be forcing people into it.”
Similarly, Cr Stephen Tancred said the decision demonstrated that council listened to the people.
“It was a very well responded to survey and we have good information,” Cr Tancred said.
In the survey sent to 1,100 landholders, the following was the response to whether they supported the service going ahead: Yes (29 per cent), No (30 per cent), and not returned (41 per cent).
Of the residents in the expansion area, a council spokesperson said that 59.2 per cent of the overall surveys were returned and 40.8 per cent were not returned.
However, Cr Andrew Gale said he was hoping the survey results would present a majority.
“This is one of those times when it’s a tough decision to make given the public sentiment,” Cr Gale said.
The expansion was initially set to go ahead as passed by council in February, but public outcry and discontent prompted SDRC to re-evaluate.
Key reasons cited by unhappy residents within the expansion area included council not consulting them prior to the decision, concerns about rate increases, and not having a use for the bins.
These complaints to council resulted in a three-month, cost-free trial period that ended last month, and a survey of those within the area among other measures undertaken by staff.
When the trial’s results were presented at the 27 June council meeting, the motion was amended against staff advice to commit to the expansion and councillors instead decided to “expand the designated waste collection service area on a voluntary basis”.
Resulting from this decision, council said it would be communicating with those who responded both positively and negatively to the survey and their subsequent inclusion or non-inclusion in the service.
Correspondence would also be undertaken with those who did not respond to the survey to determine their participation.
Other key details included necessary contract negotiations with Cleanaway and that the bin service continued for free over the next three months while more data was collected.
SDRC Mayor Vic Pennisi said at the end of the day, the decision was essentially opt-in opt-out.
“There’s going to be some officer’s time consumed getting this to where it has to be in three months’ time,” Cr Pennisi said.
“But I think that’s what the community expected of us.”
Cr Jo McNally also said it would be a huge undertaking for staff.
However, Cr Ross Bartley said he was opposed to the service becoming voluntary all together.
“We need to make it worthwhile for the contractor (Cleanaway) if it’s on a voluntary basis and I struggle to see the philosophy behind it,” Cr Bartley said.
