Page 3469 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 September 2019
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to concession cardholders. This ensures that items that are collected are not left at the front of properties for extended periods of time, reducing the risk of illegal dumping.
Services will start in Tuggeranong and Gungahlin from July next year, before expanding to Belconnen, Molonglo and Hall in the following year, Woden and Weston Creek in the year after that, and the inner north and inner south in the last year.
Staging the rollout in this way is important. We anticipate that demand will be high in the first year. As you would expect, after doing the first big clean-out demand will be high, and demand after that will stabilise over time. Staging it in this way ensures that the rollout of the service is smooth and allows for the provider to scale up to meet the demand.
Just as we have delivered better services through the staged rollout of our green bin collection service, a bulky waste collection service demonstrates that our government is delivering even better services for our growing city.
MR GUPTA: Minister, what benefits will this service provide to the Canberra community?
MR STEEL: The obvious benefits of the city-wide bulky waste collection services are that we are providing a popular free service that many Canberrans have been asking for. Instead of having to pay for private collections or pay to drop off material at the Mugga Lane resource recovery centre, Canberrans will be able to access a free collection service once per year.
We know that illegal dumping currently costs Canberrans around $2 million per year to clean up. Many of the items that we see illegally dumped on the side of the road or in other locations are items that are able to be collected as part of this new service.
One additional key aspect of our collection model will be the implementation of an extension service where those unable or unwilling to carry bulky items to the front of their property from their house can have these items collected. We anticipate that this extension service will be free for concession card holders, with a small fee for other Canberrans.
The model will be delivered to maximise resource recovery rates for bulky waste. The bulky waste collection service is yet another example of how the ACT government is providing even better services. I know that Canberrans would like to see this service rolled out. Our government is getting on with the job. This was a service that the Liberals never committed to. If they were in government, it would never be delivered.
MS CHEYNE: Minister, what opportunities are there for local businesses to be involved in a bulky waste collection service?
MR STEEL: I thank Ms Cheyne for her question. The government has been engaging with local businesses as we prepare for the rollout. Since the announcement, several
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