Govt moves to dump higher household bin charge
The state government will introduce legislation to stop councils charging extra for kerbside rubbish collection fees on the basis of how much bins weigh – but the Local Government Association says councils never proposed it in the first place.
The bill, announced today by Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Minister Susan Close, introduces rules for councils regarding waste management and kerbside rubbish collection, including a prohibition on certain additional charges.
The bill would stop councils from charging metropolitan households extra fees for weekly general waste collection, and mandates metropolitan councils must continue to provide a three-bin kerbside collection.
It comes after statutory body Green Industries SA last November put forward a proposal to charge South Australians per kilogram of waste collected.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said at the time that the state government ruled out any such move, while Liberal leader David Speirs said it would “unfairly target larger families” and introduce a “great risk of creating neighbourly disputes”.
The Local Government Association said today said it was unclear why the new bill had been introduced and that councils had been “put in the firing line” for a proposal they were not involved in.
“The idea of ‘pay as you throw’ for kerbside collections is not something being put forward by the LGA or councils,” the LGA said.
“We’ve had no early consultation with Green Industries SA or the State Government on this proposal and we’ll be seeking to better understand the intent behind this proposed legislation and how it might impact councils and communities.”
The LGA said communities were already “doing it tough through increased cost of living pressures” and that councils had “no intention of making things harder”.
The bill also prohibits waste from kerbside collection bins being recombined after collection, in an effort to ensure effective household recycling.
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Household recycling was in the news last year after reports came from Melbourne showing recycling and general waste bins being emptied into the same rubbish truck.
Under the proposed bill, councils would be required to report to the state government on recycling performance, while still reporting to Green Industries SA on kerbside collection performance.
“It is critical that we continue to find ways to reduce the amount of household waste that goes into landfill,” Close said.
“These new laws will assist the state government to support improved kerbside resource recovery and diversion outcomes while ensuring residents are not adversely affected by the changes.”
