Several residents have raised concerns about how Sorell Council determined which large properties received a mandatory Green Waste Bin. We created a survey for households with properties over 2,000m² that were issued a Green Waste Bin. Paper surveys were hand-delivered to all affected properties in the Sorell municipality.
Below is a summary of the survey results, recommendations and actions from Council.
Community Survey Results (Summary) - 141 responses
97% of respondents that have a Green Waste Bin and a property larger then 2,000m2 believe that Council should consult with them on any proposed changes to Green waste.
100% of respondents who have a property larger than 2,000m2 would like to ‘opt-out’ of the Green Waste Bin service (with the cost of $65/year removed from their rates bill)
99% of respondents who would like to opt-out of the Green Waste Bin service and have a property larger than 2,000m2 do not want a FOGO (Food Organise Garden Organics) bin in future.
Our recommendations and Council actions
The results of our survey & recommendations were presented at the Nov 2024 Council meeting.
Recommendation 1
Council to offer residents with properties over 2,000m2 the option to opt-out of the Green Waste Bin effective July 1 2025 with the $65 charge removed from their future rates bill.
Council action - Council has reduced the Green Waste Bin Charge from $65 to $47 in 2025/26 based on community feedback and a review of the waste management charges.
Recommendation 2
Council undertake consultation with rural residents before any future changes to waste services.
Council action - Council are seeking input from residents to either:
- Collect FOGO fortnightly and maintain garbage collection weekly OR
- Collect FOGO weekly and collect garbage fortnightly.
Recommendation 3
Council to tailor approaches in policy development to address the unique needs of both rural and urban residents, and avoid ‘one size fits all’ approaches.
Council action - There is no change to the Council’s original policy of excluding Greenwaste collection from areas zoned Rural, Agriculture, or Rural Living B, C, and D. With all other area’s receiving a Greenwaste Bin.
Recommendation 4
Assess feasibility of an ‘opt-in’ option for Green Waste Bin service for rural properties that don’t currently have access to a Green Bin.
Council action - Council offers residents who do not currently have a Green Bin to ‘opt-in’ to the service.
With assistance from residents, we developed a survey to understand the needs of people who have a mandatory Green Waste Bin and have a property larger than 2,000m2. A paper copy of the survey was hand delivered to all blocks of land greater than 2,000m2 and have a mandatory Green Waste Bin in the Sorell municipality. Here is a summary of results and our recommendations to Council.
I am a strong supporter of Green Waste Wheelie Bins and use mine regularly; however, several residents have raised concerns about how the Council has determined which households with large blocks of land are required to have a mandatory Green Waste Wheelie Bin. Many of these households have long managed their food waste and grass clippings within their own properties without the need for additional waste collection.
Currently, the Sorell Council assigns mandatory Green Waste Wheelie Bins based on zoning under the Tasmania Planning Scheme. While this may work well for urban areas, it creates inconsistencies in rural or semi-rural areas: for instance, if you have a one-acre block with a mandatory Green Waste Wheelie Bin, your neighbour with a similar-sized property just 300 meters away may not have one (and are not required to pay the $65/year charge).
I am creating a survey to determine how many households with blocks larger than 2,000 m² (half an acre) require Green Waste Wheelie Bins and how they manage green waste without one.
This information will be used to investigate the development of criteria (e.g. size of the property) that allows certain households to ‘opt-out’ or ‘opt-in’. This will allow me to propose a fair and sensible distinction between mandatory and non-mandatory Green Waste Wheelie Bin areas for rural residents rather than arbitrary zones.
The survey results will be presented to the Council with recommendations based on the results. If a sensible criteria to ‘opt-out’ is developed, it will save residents the $65/year charge for a service they will never use while an ‘opt-in’ option will give rural residents more flexibility.
Fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/mUou98pUT7AZA3HU9
