Kerbside bins - FAQs
Kerbside bin collection service is provided to all residents in the Bundaberg region.
Waste Collection - why do I have to pay?
Every property within the “Declared Waste Service Area” that has a building approval for a residential dwelling or unit automatically receives a minimum waste collection service charge. These charges apply to each house, strata titled unit, granny flat, secondary dwelling, dual occupancy or other dwelling designed for separate residential occupation, whether it is occupied or not.
Bin never full - why do I still pay a full waste collection charge?
Minimum Waste collection charges are applied at a flat rate across the “Declared Waste Service Area”. Trucks, fuel and wages are all direct costs that are incurred weekly when performing the service, irrespective of the amount of waste in the bins or whether residents use the service at all. The 240 litre bin size is designed to contain the maximum amount of waste for a standard home in peak season. The average bin weight placed out for collection can fluctuate by up to 30-40% across the year. On average residents present their bin on the kerb for servicing only 70-90% of the time.
Cancelling a service - can I opt out of a waste collection service?
RESIDENTIAL - No, residents located in the “Declared Waste Service Area” cannot opt out of a waste collection service. Opting out of a service would inflate waste service charges to those still needing to use the service as well as potentially increase public health risks.
COMMERCIAL - Yes, providing the:
- business has an alternate waste collection bin service; and
- the owner has formally request Council to cancel the service
NB Waste collection charges are not refunded if bins are simply stolen, lost or no longer used (e.g. property is vacant).
Cancelling a service - when is a residential waste service collection not required?
Council only cancels a service in the “Declared Waste Service Area” under the following circumstances:
- when the building is declared as an uninhabitable dwelling by an authorised Council Officer; or
- where the building has been demolished; or
- when Council deems that it cannot safely or effectively service the bins from adjacent to the property boundary.
Garden waste bin - will Council introduce a dedicated wheelie bin for garden waste?
Council is very mindful of increasing rate costs for residents and is continually looking for alternative, less expensive means of achieving outcomes.
Council is currently running a FOGO bin trial in certain areas of the region.
Weekly recycling collection - can Council collect our recycling bin weekly?
At the present time, Council has no plans to increase the fortnightly service schedule for recycling bin collection as this would mean an increase in waste collection fees for all ratepayers. However, residents who require more recycling space can request an additional recycling bin, which attracts an additional reduced fee through the rates of less than $2 per week. Recycling bins can also be taken to any of our waste management facilities to dispose of the contents free of charge, provided the load does not contain any other chargeable waste.
More about kerbisde bins collections: Bins Service Information Housholders Information