Callala Bay resident Tara Landrebe cannot understand why her friends in Wollongong, just a day trip away, have a green bin in their yard, and she does not.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
She is living the Australian dream, in a house with a backyard in a leafy green suburb by the sea.
But, with a number of grandiose gum trees overhanging into her yard, regular garden maintenance is essential, and this has been a challenge.
Tara is among 88 per cent of Shoalhaven residents in favour of having a green bin, according to a Fairfax poll, which has elicited more than 400 responses in five days.
“Our whole backyard is covered in greenery that dies,” Tara said.
“It takes up space in the red bin.
"In extreme cases, people set their stuff on fire.”
Tara admitted she would rather burn green waste than pay $50 to dump it at the tip.
She waits until she has enough to burn, then, checking there are no fire restrictions, lights a fire in a drum.
Last summer, Tara had a huge stockpile of green waste, as renters left her yard in an overgrown state.
When she moved back in, she took a few loads to the tip, and kept the rest to burn.
“It was definitely a fire hazard,” Tara said.
“It was such a dry time of year, and we had it sitting under the car port.
“That took me two weeks to get rid of, between burning it, putting it in red bin, and taking it to tip.”
She said people have been dumping green waste in bush tracks off Callala Bay Road, to the left of the path.
“Heaps of plants have been dumped there,” she said.
“Some of these plants are going to cause weeds to grow in the bush.”
Last week Tara saw a red bin tipped on its side in the street, top-heavy and full of green waste.
Twenty-one per cent of red bins in the Shoalhaven are filled with garden waste, which could be reused and saved from landfill.
It is understood a notice of motion will be submitted before the next ordinary council meeting, urging council to give serious consideration to green bins or free disposal of green waste.
Councillor Mitchell Pakes believes most residents would like a green bin in their yard, and council does not need to undertake another survey to prove it.
Shellharbour City Council, Eurobodalla Shire Council, Bega Valley Council, Kiama Municipal Council, Goulburn Mulwaree Council and Wingecarribee Shire Council all have green waste collection services.
