Tree-hanging rubbish no-go
Hanging rubbish for collection in trees is now a no-go in the Coromandel.
And rubbish cages are also off limits. In early November, the ThamesCoromandel District Council announced their rubbish contractor, Smart Environmental, would no longer collect rubbish bags hanging from trees or poles but only those on the kerbside.
The trend of hanging rubbish bags in tress or on poles is popular in the district, particularly with holiday home owners, to prevent the bag from being ripped open by animals or birds before collection. After the ban, residents took to using other methods to protect their garbage, like placing bags in cages or a lid-less bins for protection.
However, the council says that too is not allowed and only a council-endorsed Gullinator could be used – a plastic mesh housing that covers the bag – to place bags in. Or people could just place the bags on the kerbside.
Tairua resident Neisha Rhind said the changes were ridiculous. She said the coastal town constantly had seagulls going into people’s rubbish and it would be much easier, and less time consuming, for them hang their rubbish from a tree than put it in some kind of vessel.
She had taken to using the lid-less bin approach to prevent animals and birds from getting into it since the tree rule change, but had been told by council that was not allowed.
‘‘I don’t really want my kids’ nappies and everything else strewn all over the road and that would have to be a bigger health and safety concern for their contractors than what getting a bag out of my plastic bin would be.’’
TCDC cited Smart Environmental being poked by sharp objects in hanging bags and their general safety as part of the change. The council said collecting bags that were not on kerbside added on time to a scheduled collection.