Page 5122 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 28 November 2017
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The response from residents in Weston Creek and Kambah has been fantastic. More than 8,000 green waste bins, representing an almost 50 per cent take-up rate, have been delivered to households in these suburbs. The pilot area collected a total of 860 tonnes of garden organic green waste between April and September this year, with this figure expected to increase now that the weather is warmer.
I am also pleased to inform the Assembly that exceptionally low contamination rates have been recorded during the pilot: less than one per cent. Nearly all residents involved are using the service in the way that is intended, depositing only lawn trimmings, garden cuttings and leaf litter in their green bins. This low contamination rate is testament to the excellent planning, execution and ongoing communication work of the Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate, and of course full credit should go to the residents of Weston Creek and Kambah.
This reinforces the importance of education and providing high quality information to the community as we roll out key waste reduction initiatives. It also bodes well as we continue to plan for the city-wide rollout of green bins.
MS CODY: Minister, can you update the Assembly on the planned city-wide rollout of the green bins?
MS FITZHARRIS: I am very happy to update the Assembly on the proposed city-wide rollout for green bins. I was very pleased to announce earlier this month, Madam Speaker, that in your electorate in Tuggeranong residents will be able to receive their green waste bins in January next year. Following the success of the Weston Creek and Kambah pilot, residents have been able to sign up for green waste collections from yesterday. The collections will start in January next year, with Belconnen collections to begin in September ahead of a territory-wide rollout in mid-2019.
Madam Speaker, as you know and as a fellow member for Brindabella knows, this is the perfect time of the year for the service to start for Tuggeranong residents: I know Mr Gentleman has already registered his interest, which is terrific. Your gardens are flourishing. Garden prunings are growing. Grass clippings and weeds need to be disposed of, particularly over the summer period. We have had 6,000 Tuggeranong residents already express their interest in receiving a green bin and now these residents can register to take advantage of this great service.
Weston Creek and Kambah residents can still opt in for a green bin. A one-off registration fee of $50 is required, with eligible concession cardholders exempt from payment. Every Canberran who wants a green bin will have one by the middle of 2019. This means that we will complete the delivery of our 2016 election commitment a full year ahead of schedule.
MS ORR: Minister, what waste management and environmental benefits will the full rollout of green bins provide to the ACT?
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