No. 4 
ACT Government to introduce bulky waste collection service

Pensioners and concession card holders will receive a free annual collection of bulky household waste as part of a 12 month trial being funded in the 2010-11 ACT Budget, Chief Minister and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Jon Stanhope, announced today.  

Mr Stanhope said the Budget provided $1 million for the trial, which will commence by December 2010. 

The service will be free for holders of a Centrelink Pensioner Concession card, an ACTION Concession card or a Department of Veterans Affairs Gold Card, and offered for a small fee to all other Canberrans.

“The ACT Government understands the difficulty some Canberrans — particularly those without large cars or trailers — have in disposing of large items such as unwanted furniture and appliances,” Mr Stanhope said. 

“To help our growing city better manage household waste, we will trial an annual collection of bulky waste such as unwanted furniture and appliances.

“This scheme will particularly help ACT householders who do not have the capacity to transport large items because of mobility issues or lack of access to a suitable vehicle.”

Mr Stanhope said a maximum limit of two cubic metres would apply to the amount of waste that would be collected from households. Certain types of materials such as garden waste, engine oil, paints, chemicals, asbestos, tyres, mattresses, computers and TVs would not be collected through the service.

The trial will be fully evaluated before the Government decides whether to offer a permanent bulky waste collection service.

Mr Stanhope said the Budget also provided targeted funding to develop new markets for recycled goods and to increase the capacity of the Mugga Lane landfill.

“The Government is investing $335,000 for a dedicated officer to help the resource recovery sector develop new markets for recycled materials. Our existing recycling facilities will also benefit from $150,000 in the Budget for essential upgrades,” 
Mr Stanhope said.
 
“The Government is preparing for our growing city by investing $4.4 million to extend the life of the Mugga Lane landfill to 2019, and an extra $1.750 million to explore options for waste management beyond 2019.”  

4 May 2010
Media Contact:		Jess Wurf	6205 0504 (w)	0411 722 700 (m)
			jess.wurf@act.gov.au