Council has advertised a hard rubbish collection day in Clunes on Monday September 5.
Council will collect up to 2 cubic metres of hard waste such as mattresses and bed bases, mirrors, timber off cuts. Council will also collect recyclable waste including e-waste and white goods, metal waste and up to 2 cubic metres of green waste provided it is separated into bundles.
There have been a number of questions on social media about whether the service will also be offered to residents in other towns. Hepburn Shire CEO, Bradley Thomas, said, “The annual hard rubbish collection has been historically offered only in Clunes due to residents not having access to a transfer station within the town.”
Residents of Daylesford, Trentham, Clunes and surrounding areas can dispose of scrap metal and e-waste free of charge at their local transfer stations and green waste can be disposed at a transfer station free of charge during the month of November. However, there is a charge for disposal of non-recyclable hard waste of $52 per cubic metre. Outside the month of November, clean green waste costs $22 per cubic metre.
Most local government councils in Victoria offer one free hard rubbish pick-up per year and many offer two free green waste pick-ups per year. Pick-ups are either scheduled for a particular area on a particular day or can be booked through the local council office.
Clunes residents have a significant financial advantage over other Shire residents. They have free hard rubbish and green waste collection from their kerbside when other residents in the Shire are charged for disposal even though they do the work of taking it to the tip themselves. The benefit to Clunes residents is $148 (2 m hard rubbish + 2 m green waste) or about 75% of the annual kerbside collection service fee of $196.00.
The cost of waste disposal sometimes results in people inappropriately and illegally dumping hard rubbish and green waste in forested areas and spoiling our natural environment.
Daylesford District Community Bank has previously (2019) expressed interest in sponsoring periodic “free” green waste days for Daylesford and Hepburn residents. A bank board representative indicated that they are again prepared to work with council and potentially other community banks in the Shire to give residents a more cost effective option to dispose of green waste.
The Shire may reconsider current services. Bradley Thomas said, “We intend to review the provision of hard rubbish collection as part of the recently adopted Sustainable Hepburn strategy.”
