Kerbside collection of garbage bins will be banned for new blocks of flats and large town house and villa developments in Sutherland Shire under a proposed new policy.
Instead, developments of 12 or more dwellings, or where kerbside collection is not operationally feasible, a traffic hazard or on major roads, will require an on-site collection area.
The move is designed to prevent bins “dominating the streetscape”, creating traffic risks and taking up much-needed parking, which causes conflict between residents.
Council’s Infrastructure Committee recommended the new policy, which is expected to be endorsed by the council.
It will sit separately to the Development Control Plan until that document can be amended at the first opportunity, which will require public consultation.
A report by council staff said, as the shire developed, more streets would “become unnavigable” to larger vehicles on bin collection days.
Streetscapes would increasingly becoming dominated by waste bins and parking would be eroded.
The report said several streets in the new Pinnacle Street, Miranda, high rise precinct had been approved with twice weekly on street collection.
“This has required that virtually the entire street frontage in front of these developments be designated no parking, and will result in bins being a highly visible element of the streetscape at least three to four days per week assuming the bins are presented the night before each collection day,” it said.
“Bins will increasingly conflict with on-street parking.
“We will see more frequent occurrences of bins being placed in front of cars for collection resulting increased claims against the collection service provider.
“It is only a matter of time before there is a serious incident involving a car and or a pedestrian arising from the placement of a residential bin placed on the roadway.”
The report listed a range of workplace, health and safety concerns being experienced at present, including collection trucks reversing on main roads, motorists colliding with bins in front of parked cars and traffic sightlines being affected.
The report said the policy would have some negataive impacts for developers.
“It will result in some developments having a decreased yield or increased construction costs as additional space will be required for on-site collection,” it said.
”It may also encourage revised amalgamation patterns for development blocks as smaller high density developments may not be able to provide satisfactory on site waste collection provisions.”
