Lake Macquarie bulky waste pick-up: councillors vote to introduce bookable pick-up service

Residents will now have the option to book two pick-ups per year, use vouchers to drop their waste off at the tip or a combination of the two.

Cr Jason Pauling was the only elected official to vote against the proposal on Monday night, which he said previously would decrease the level of service to ratepayers and residents "to their detriment".

The new system is expected to launch in February next year for bookings with pick-ups likely from March.

A DECISION to bin bulky waste pick-ups in favour of a bookable system has divided Lake Macquarie residents, who feel one man's trash is another's treasure.

Lake Macquarie City Council's plan means residents will have the option to book two scheduled pick-ups a year, use vouchers to drop off their waste or a combination of the two.

While some feel it's a convenient service that will clean up the streets, others believe it will contribute to illegal dumping and see more items end up in landfill.

Cooranbong resident Steven Lane said the on-call collection is a great alternative to the "mess which currently exists".

"The majority of people can't read and put their crap out weeks before pick-up, they put prohibited items in their piles and the ferals come at night to rummage through the neat piles to spread trash everywhere," he said.

"I've found that people will even add their crap to our pile, leaving me to deal with rotting foods and prohibited items which council won't take.

"I'm satisfied that an on-demand service will reduce most of the problems with the current system."

Lake Macquarie produces the sixth-highest amount of bulky waste per household, compared to the 42 other local government areas in the state that offer a service.

The amount collected has increased by 69 per cent in the past decade, the council's waste services manager Paul Collins said they now pick up more than 11,000 tonnes each year.

"Moving to a bookable service will create tidier streets and neighbourhoods, because it means bulky waste won't fill the verge of entire suburbs at the same time," he said.

"Other councils that have made similar transitions tell us that the incidences of illegal dumping generally decrease with the shift to a bookable service."

Rathmines resident Olina Harrison runs a small vintage restoration business and said the kerbside collection allows an unbelievable amount of items to be saved from landfill.

"The change will have a huge impact on our contributions to waste and discourage those of us wanting to reuse and repurpose as much as possible," she said.

"It will be a real shame when it does change."

The council will continue to recycle e-waste, bundled green waste, mattresses and metals from bulky waste collections.

Eleebana resident Sam Doove said she thinks society needs to shift towards better waste management and embrace circular economy principles.

"Half my house is furnished with finds from bulk waste, but the reality is that the items saved from the side of the street are tiny compared to the quantity of bulk waste that ends up in landfill," she said.

"Lake Mac has one of highest collections of bulk waste in NSW. Not something to be proud of.

"I am all for the council remaining innovative in the waste space and setting our region up for better outcomes in the future - even if it means less 'finds' on the side of the road in the future."

The council will aim to provide bookings two to four weeks in advance, collecting waste on the day booked or the day after.

Bookings are expected to open next February with the service starting in March.

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