On-demand bulk waste verge collections coming to Freo

More flexibility is coming to Fremantle’s bulk waste verge collections with the introduction of a new on-demand service later this year, following a decision of Council last night.

The service will allow residents to pre-book their bulk verge collections for year-round convenience.

Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said the new model would offer a tailored approach for households, while also helping to keep our streets tidier.

“Residents will be able to book a collection when and as they need it, rather than holding onto old items until the next scheduled annual city-wide verge collection,” she said.

“Once they’ve booked, they can then place out their bulk waste on their chosen date for it to be collected within three days.

“The new model means bulk waste collections will be less obvious, as they are more spread out across the city and won’t be such a visual eyesore for our suburbs.  

“And when the bulk waste is out, it will be for a much shorter period instead of an average of 14 days under the previous model.”

The new model allows the City to expand its bulk waste collections to all Fremantle households, with the previous service not available for many apartments or inner-city residents.

“Up until now, almost 3000 apartments and inner-city residents have missed out on the convenience of verge-side collections because of the way the old system worked, but this model will ensure they can take part with minimal impact on streets and footpaths in our CBD,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

The change to an on-demand model has been introduced to help address the community concerns raised in the 2021 Verge Collection Review. 

The consultation received 237 submissions, with 55% of respondents saying alternative bulk waste collection models should be considered.

The main concerns raised for the previous model included the unsightliness of streets, materials being placed out too early, verge trawlers leaving a mess and traffic hazard risks.

“This new model will help address the issues raised by our community and will ensure our bulk waste collection service is more efficient and flexible,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

“The previous city-wide bulk waste collections also attracted high instances of illegal dumping on medium strips, footpaths and vacant blocks and this new model will help us keep our public spaces safe and tidy.”

The new model is estimated to cost an extra $50k a year, however it will allow the City to expand its bulk verge collections to all residents.   

There will be no increase to rates to cover the new model, with the increase in cost factored in as part of the annual budget process.

The roll-out will be accompanied by an educational campaign to encourage recycling and reuse options like donating to charity, listing on Buy Nothing Facebook pages and Facebook Marketplace or free drop-offs to Fremantle Recycling Centre.

“What a lot of people don’t realise is that the items from bulk waste collections end up in landfill, so we really want people to make the most of the other options available,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said. 

“One of the key actions in the City’s Waste Management Action Plan is to reduce landfill and this new on-demand model accompanied by our educational campaign will help us achieve this.”

The City of Fremantle will join a growing number of other local governments that have made the change, including Town of Mosman Park, Town of Cottesloe, Town of Cambridge, Shire of Peppermint Grove, City of Subiaco and City of Vincent.

“The feedback from their residents about the on-demand service has been overwhelmingly positive,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

“The new system will not only give households more flexibility and help us better serve our community, but it reduces landfill and improves recycling.”

The City of Fremantle will work to finalise details for the new model, including the number of collections offered to households per year and the notice required for booking a collection. 

The changes will come into effect in September 2023 with a resident information campaign to kick off soon. 

Visit fremantle.wa.gov.au/ondemandcollections for more info.