Lake Macquarie kerbside waste collection: council changes twice-yearly service to bookable collection in first change to system in 25 years

According to the council, the current scheduled service doesn't give residents the flexibility they need and detracts from the overall look of the city.

On Monday night, councillors voted to scrap the scheduled service and allow residents to use their two collections a year at a time that suits them.

Not everyone was in favour of the plan, with Cr Jason Pauling arguing locals love the current system.

"I think it's too hard, people won't do it and bulky waste will sit in their homes, we will decrease the level of service to our ratepayers and residents to their detriment," he said.

"I think we've really missed the point, this seems as though we are more interested in social conditioning, changing behaviour and pushing the issue aside.

"I am truly flabbergasted as to how we have gotten to this and don't understand the logic, this seems to be more about money and capacity."

Other councillors didn't take the same view, voting in favour of the new service on the condition there is an independent review in 12 months.

Cr Colin Grigg felt the new service gave residents more freedom of choice.

"I don't see social conditioning here, they have more options because they can dump when they want to and still have rubbish picked up two times a year," he said.

"Residents are more free to choose when their stuff is picked up."

Residents will be able to book a pick-up, opt for vouchers to drop their rubbish off at the Awaba Waste Management Facility or a combination of both.

The two cubic metre size limit will remain the same, with locals able to book their collections or vouchers online or over the phone.

The council argues the new model will reduce illegal dumping, provide the community with a more financially sustainable bulky waste service, reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill and improve handling conditions for collection crews.

Lake Macquarie collects a higher amount of bulky waste than other councils of a similar size, about 131 kilograms per household, ranking it the sixth highest in the state.

It recovers about 12 per cent of the items compared to 60 per cent in high-performing councils.

Changing the service is expected to save the council an average of $494,000 each year.

Under the current model, residents receive a service about every six months - kicking large household items like mattresses, metal, green waste and electronic waste to the kerb.

It costs the council about $6.6 million a year, which is about $77 per household after the cost of collection with 22 staff and six trucks, landfill costs and recycling costs for mattresses, bulky green waste and e-waste.

With bulky waste increasing by 69 per cent between 2012 and 2022, the council said crews struggle to undertake collections in suburbs across the city every six months.

The council puts the increased cost down to high consumerism, more housing developments in the city, rental tenancy turnovers increasing bulky waste, population growth and more illegal dumping.

It said it considered a new way of offering the service due to growing complaints from the community about 'unsightly' piles of waste littering neighbourhoods.

The council plans to offer extra bulky waste pick-ups at a fee once the service is up and running, with a decision to be formally made at the next meeting.

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