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An overwhelming majority of Bendigo Advertiser readers polled online have said they want a hard rubbish collection service in their city.
Ninety-five percent of the 562 people asked, “Should Bendigo have a hard rubbish collection service?”, answered in the affirmative.
Nearly four-fifths of voters also believed items left for others to collect from nature strips did not constitute littering.
The results follow a warning from the City of Greater Bendigo that those who left hard rubbish roadside could face fines of more than $300.
Local laws manager Susannah Milne said there has been a surge in the number of televisions, mattresses and pieces of furniture left by the kerb.
Even leaving free items on the verge for others to take was considered littering, she said.
But hundreds of the Addy’s Facebook followers argued the city needed a hard rubbish collection service.
East Bendigo resident Kerry-Anne Hunt said she not only left unwanted items on her nature strip, she also liked looking at what other people were donating outside their homes.
She described the process as ‘upcycling’ – the process of taking someone else’s unwanted goods and “returning it to its former glory” – and said it was becoming increasingly common.
Ms Hunt put the popularity of the nature strip marketplace down to the costs associated with using landfill.
Her neighbours occasionally left out one or two items at a time too, something Ms Hunt did not find an eyesore.
“I usually pop over to see if there’s anything I can put to use.”
What was not taken within a week was removed, she said.