STINK LOOMS OVER NEW WASTE PICK-UP ISSUES AS MANY VENT ANGER
A WASTE war is festering between Cairns Regional Council and a body corporate manager prepared to dump an entire apartment block’s rubbish in a public park unless he gets satisfaction.
Westcourt Apartments manager Humphrey Hollins has taken aim at the council’s new waste contractor JJ Richards over its refusal to enter the premises unless residents sign away their right to recompense for personal or property damage.
“You cannot absolve anyone for personal injury claims, you just can’t,” he said.
“At least with (former contractor) Cleanaway, they fixed our gate when they broke it.”
JJ Richards took over the region’s waste and recycling removal a week ago after signing a nine-year contract and buying 20 new trucks.
Mr Hollins has been wheeling out two whopping steel slip bins from the complex to the kerb on collection day, with the company refusing to go onsite unless granted immunity.
“Even then, they’re late to pick it up,” he said.
The council has offered to provide 42 of the standard 240L wheelie bins which, again, would have to be dragged to the street.
Mr Hollins believes JJ Richards should comply with Cleanaway’s former agreement.
An email from the council to Mr Hollins stated: “You have expressed within your correspondence that if your rubbish is not collected then you ‘will dump rubbish in an adjacent park’ until an alternative contractor is provided …”
He was warned steep fines would ensue if he acted on the threat. A council spokeswoman said most properties asked to waive liability had complied.
“As part of this process council, on behalf of contractor JJ Richards, has sought indemnity from wear and tear on internal roads and pavement surfaces,” she said.
“Of the 517 premises asked to sign an indemnity form, Westcourt Apartments and three other properties have chosen not to do so. In all these cases council has offered alternative waste collection services that don’t require a waste truck to enter the premises.”
The ACCC in October declared several terms in JJ Richards’ standard form contract were unfair, including a term “removing any liability for JJ Richards where its performance is ‘prevented or hindered in any way’.” The company did not respond to a request for comment but the council said it was confident there was no issue with the current form.