Green bin rollout to save ratepayers $13.7m

THE rubbish revolution has arrived with Mayor Tom Tate unveiling details about the city’s new green initiative to save ratepayers $13.7 million over five years.

Gold Coast’s green bin initiative will allow 77,000 additional homes to better dispose of organic waste from the garden.

The rollout will happen between July and September this year with the cost subsidised by Gold Coast City Council for the first 12 months. An additional $1 a week will then be added to rates for the bins.

“With the $13.7 million saving in the levies we will be putting that aside for other solutions we have in mind for waste management,” Mayor Tate said.

“We’re heading down the path of more recycling – the best and cheapest way to do that is have things sorted at the home rather than spend excess to sort it in processing centres.

“This will increase our recycling to 60 per cent – it’s coming a long way.”

Mayor Tate said the Gold Coast was still looking towards at long-term solutions around energy to waste.

In December Mayor Tate told the Bulletin he wanted to explore the possibility of replicating a small scale version of Dubai’s waste-to-energy facility in what would be the: “Biggest shake-up to the city’s waste systems since recycling was introduced in 1992.”

“By 2032 I’d like to see 90 per cent of items recycled – next step is glass.”

The new bins will be collected fortnightly on the alternate week to recycling. Exemption details for special circumstances are available via the Gold Coast City Council website.