Hard waste trial set to begin in Flora Hill, Kennington and Axedale amid concerns about illegal dumping

YOU won't be able to go treasure hunting on people's nature strips when Bendigo's hard waste collections begin next Monday.

The three-month trial will include 4900 households in Flora Hill, Kennington and Axedale and include unwanted furniture and white goods like washing machines, refrigerators, washing machines and dryers.

Rubbish will need to stay on people's properties until it is picked up.

Leaving rubbish on nature strips for collections has pros and cons, City of Greater Bendigo waste resource recovery and education manager Brooke Pearce said.

"It's great when people can take items and reuse them ... but it can cause issues too," she said.

"Items on nature strips can be liability issues and tripping issues at night. That's what we were concerned about. We want everyone to be safe."

"They (rubbish on nature strips) can create eyesores too."

The trial has been welcomed by the Bendigo Sustainability Group.

President Trevor Smith knows the hard rubbish collection industry well, having worked with collection companies in Melbourne.

"Bendigo is a great place to do that (a hard rubbish collection program) in. The issue will be that we will be picking a lot of this stuff up and shipping it away," he said.

"We have been notoriously bad at attracting industry to Bendigo. Even though we do have some recycling companies, and commercial infrastructure, we have nowhere near enough."

It means ratepayers spend more money on transport and Bendigo loses opportunities for investment in a fast growing industry, Mr Smith said.

While some recyclables stay in Bendigo, electronic waste - or e-waste - is currently shipped down to Melbourne to be broken down down, separated and used in other items, Ms Pearce said.

Keeping all recycling within the Bendigo region would be the best outcome for all, Ms Pearce said.

"That's certainly something we will be looking at for future technology, when we are planning our waste management," said said.

The council is open to becoming a hub for recycling within the Loddon Campaspe and Mallee regions, Ms Pearce said.

"Bendigo is a good central location for both of those regions and if we can support that, that is what we will endeavor to do," she said.

Earlier

A FREE hard waste trial is set to begin in Bendigo next Monday amid community concerns about illegal dumping.

The three-month trial will include 4900 households in Flora Hill, Kennington and Axedale and include unwanted furniture and white goods like washing machines, refrigerators, washing machines and dryers.

Tyres, liquids of any form, asbestos, general waste and green waste will not be disposed of.

The trial came after "plenty of comments" about illegal dumping and the need for a service, City of Greater Bendigo waste, resource recovery and education manager Brooke Pearce said.

"Flora Hill and Kennington were chosen because they are close to the Strathfieldsaye Transfer Station while Axedale was selected because it is close to the Heathcote Transfer Station," she said.

"Both Flora Hill and Kennington are also close to One Tree Hill, where significant illegal dumping takes place."

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People in the trial area will be eligible for once free collection of unwanted goods and will be able to contact the council to book a collection, Ms Pearce said.

The trial could pave the way for a service residents would pay for, she said.

"Therefore, the participating households will play a very important role in determining the future of a possible Reuse and Recycle Home Collection service for the wider municipality," Ms Pearce said.

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