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Frequently Asked Questions


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Q1: What are the changes to the waste management collection services?

Under the new Waste and Recycling contract each Residential and Rural Residential household will now be entitled to three bins. These include a:
  • 1 x 240L red lidded bin for waste (collected weekly),
  • 1 x 240L yellow lidded bin for recycling (collected fortnightly) and
  • 1 x 240L green lidded bin for garden organics (collected fortnightly).
Rural areas will have 1 x 240L red lidded bin for waste (collected weekly), 1 x 240L yellow lidded bin for recycling (collected fortnightly).

Q2: When will the new waste management collection service commence?

The new arrangements will commence from 1st July 2009 for new rural waste and recycling and 1st November 2009 for garden organics services.

Q3: Will we get new bins?

Yes, Rural areas will receive new red and yellow bins and Residential and Rural Residential will receive a new garden organics bin prior to the new service commencement dates.

Q4: What can I place in the Garbage Bin (Red Lidded Bin)?

Your red lidded bin is for general waste products and kitchen scraps.

Examples of General Waste products are:
  • General household garbage
  • Plastic bags and other non-recyclable plastics
  • Foam Trays including meat trays
  • Pyrex, ceramics or pottery
  • Broken toys
  • Nappies
  • Clothes and Rags
  • Plastic Buckets
  • Any glass except bottles & jars (including plate glass, windows, mirrors, drinking glasses


Q5: What can I place in the Recycling Bin (Yellow Lidded Bin)?

All recyclable items such as:
  • Paper & Cardboard - newspapers, magazines, milk/juice cartons, and cardboard boxes
  • Plastics - soft drink bottles, plastic milk bottles, yoghurt and ice cream containers, butter/margarine containers, all plastics containing the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6 or 7
  • Steel - Food cans, aerosol cans, jar lids, coffee tins
  • Aluminium - soft drink/beer cans, clean foil
  • Glass - bottles and jars only (all colours)


Q6: What can I place in the garden organics bin?

The following items can be placed in the garden organics bin:
  • Lawn/grass clippings
  • Prunnings and branches
  • Leaves and weeds
(Weight of bin not to exceed 75Kg)

Q7: I don't have any garden organics - do I have to have this service?

You do not have to retain all three bins if you do not want to, however, you will still be rated for this service whether it is fully utilized or not.

Q8: Can I swap my garden organics service for an additional waste or recycling service?

No. The annual domestic waste charge is levied based on the three bin service (waste, recycling and garden organics). These services cannot be swapped as they are charged at different rates by the contractor. In addition these range of services are provided to assist in reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

Q9: Does everyone in the Greater Taree/Great Lakes/Gloucester area receive the three bin services?

No, only Residential and Rural Residential properties will receive the three bin service.

Rural areas will receive 1 x 240L red lidded bin for waste (collected weekly) and 1 x 240L yellow lidded bin for recycling (collected fortnightly).

Q10: We have a large family - can we have additional services if required?

Yes. You may have additional waste, recycling and garden organics services if required (fees apply).

Q11: Will my collection days change?

There may be some variations to the collection days. It's anticipated that the garden organics bin will be collected on the same day of the week but on the alternate fortnight to your recycling bin, e.g. if your recycling bin is collected on Week 1 on a Wednesday, your garden organics bin will be collected on Wednesday Week 2.

Q14: What about units and apartments?

These properties will be able to have a garden organics collection service and consultation can take place with Council on the number of bins suitable for the premises.

Q13: What will the new service cost?

Each Council will set its own fees and charges for their respective Domestic Waste charges on an annual basis, as part of the preparation of their Management Plans, budget and fees and charges which become operative from 1st July each year.

Depending upon which Local Government Area you reside in, the proposed new domestic waste service charges will vary from Council to Council from $5.77 to $7.00 per week. This charge will also include the recently announced State Government, Waste & Environment Levy and the Federal Government's proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme levy.

The cost of the provision of the new waste, recycling and garden organics collection services, and processing is more than reasonable when compared to other council's that have similar regional waste collection services and processing contracts.

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