Free monthly green waste collection proposed for Hobart Residents to feed an expanded mulching facility at McRobies Tip as a first step to amalgamating council services
Alderman Jeff Briscoe, candidate for Lord Mayor said today that residents in the city and the suburbs are crying out for a monthly green waste collection and have lobbied him to get it introduced.
“If elected as your Mayor I will introduce this green waste initiative to the new Council, that is due to meet in few weeks time”
“Even now, the removal of trimmings from spring plant growth is quite a burden especially if you like gardening as hundreds of people do in Hobart. If you have retired then the expense of personal removal is high.” Said Alderman Briscoe
“This proposal, if accepted by the new council, will have an additional benefit to the city of maintaining our reputation as a beautiful well maintained garden city, attractive to residents and visitors alike.”
“In addition, the Hobart City Council has already started expanding its mulching capacity at the Tip and this extra green material will come in handy for expanded production, I could imagine that a least one free bag of mulch could be delivered back to the householder.”
”So everyone is a winner.”
“Clarence City Council already offer a free monthly green waste removal service and it is very popular”.
“So it would be a bit of a catch up with our neighbours”
“But Hobart needs to come on board and this proposal fits in with my general principle that services should be started to be aligned in preparation for an amalgamation of southern Councils. We need to ensure that the same level of service is maintained to all residents so that on amalgamation that no resident has a reduction in services, and in many cases, an increase”
Background
The HCC banned the use of burning garden waste in the suburbs over ten years ago and offered, for a while a free green waste facility for drop off at the Tip. That offer was eventually dropped and now householders are expected to remove their own green waste at their own expense.
HCC has currently three green waste removal days each year. To extend the green collection to a regular monthly collection may prove to be cost effective. A preliminary cost estimate is $8-00 per year per household said Alderman Briscoe. He is very confident that any costs could be absorbed, with efficiency gains without adding to the rates and sale of any mulch produced should make it cost neutral.
