IT’S a popular pastime at this time of the year, taking potshots at the council for not picking up the main rubbish bin (red lid/landfill bin) each week especially in busy coastal locations where short-stay accommodation is typically for four days to a week.
Imagine the annoyance when the newly arrived holidaymakers turn up to find the red bin is already full of baby’s nappies, dog poo, chicken scraps and prawn shells etc.
Or equally annoying, when the absentee owner from Melbourne has to come down midweek (having paid the new short-stay levy and a pile of rates) and get the bin emptied before the new tenants come in, or organise a neighbour or contractor to empty it for them at the tip or transfer station.
There is also Section 41 (1c) of the Bass Coast Shire Local Law No. 1 Neighbourhood Amenity 2022 to be complied with: “The occupier of the premises must not (c) leave a residential or non-residential waste bin out for more than one (1) day before or after the designated collection day.”
Surely, it’s time to revisit the “red bin” issue in the run up to the October 2024 local government elections.
Island councillor Ron Bauer says yes, in fact he’s going to make it an election issue.
“Just going around town today and the number of people who put their red bins out on the wrong week is an indication of what they think. They are voting with their bins, if you like,” said Cr Bauer.
“I’ve always said we should pick up the red bins every week of the summer holidays, from Christmas Eve, December 24 right through to Australia Day January 26.
“On Phillip Island, in the waterline towns which are busy right through January, and at Inverloch and Cape Paterson in particular it’s an absolute necessity.
“We are a tourist destination and we’ve got to have our towns looking their best at this time of the year, not having unemptied bins out and also people just leaving their rubbish around because there’s no point putting it in the bin.”
Cr Bauer said Bass Coast’s attitude to red bins, offering only a fortnight collection during the busy summer holidays was out of step with all other coastal municipalities in Gippsland; South Gippsland, Wellington (Sale) and East Gippsland which all offered weekly red bin/landfill waste collection weekly right through the year.
“I’m only talking about red bin collection from Christmas Eve to Australia Day. We should simply put it in the contract and be done with it,” Cr Bauer said.
