AFTER hours kerbside waste collection could be swept in following Mount Gambier councillor Kate Amoroso questioning the possibility of night time pick ups.
Cr Amoroso queried the possibility to City Council’s operational standing committee this month, saying she noted the difference during recent interstate travel.
“I am mainly asking the question because I have taken notice of it during my recent travels,” Cr Amoroso said.
“I have noticed that other towns have their pick ups after hours.”
Noting she believes it may lead to the town looking tidier, Cr Amoroso also questioned whether it could lead into safer travel around the city.
“There were not as many bins tipped over and trucks were not ducking in and out of cars as much as I see here,” she said.
“General public safety could also be improved too I guess, which are all things I assume could be reduced if we were to change our times.”
Cr Amoroso also said she had recently been conversing with residents on kerbside rubbish collection, stating community members had raised complaints.
“People have come to me and said ‘yes, it is an issue’ and others have come to me and said it is not,” she said.
“At the end of the day I just pitched the idea to see if it has ever been looked into.”
City Council infrastructure general manager Nick Serle said there has been previous reports of waste collection occurring earlier than scheduled.
“We have had some (instances of) truck drivers who get a little ahead of themselves and pick up kerbside rubbish before the set hours,” Mr Serle said.
“Yet during my years here we have never had an inquiry about changing the times.
“Currently we do organise for certain areas to be collected a little earlier than others to ensure traffic will not be interrupted.”
Mr Serle also said waste bins along Commercial Street as well as major tourists areas and reserves are organised to be collected within early hours of the morning ensuring the areas are neat.
Mr Serle said council will investigate the proposal, making sure noise disturbances will be taken into account as well as staff penalty rates.
Currently, the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016 states waste collection noise is classified as a nuisance.
It also states collections must not occur between 7pm and 7am on weekdays.
