Decision details

The original motion was moved by Councillor Gannon and seconded by Councillor Scully.

It is resolved that:

(A)       Council note:

(i)         the City provides the following levels of service for waste collection in the Potts Point Area which includes:

(a)        seven-day a week collection for general waste and recycling of multi-unit dwellings. This is required because some of Sydney’s oldest apartment buildings are located in Potts Point and due to the period they were built, they do not have adequate space for the bin storage needed today; and

(b)        on demand and unlimited weekly bulky waste collections;

(ii)        that Potts Point is one of the densest suburbs in Australia and residents have recently reported increasing issues with waste collection;

(iii)       the City has experienced a significant strain on staff resources, for both City staff and City contractors, due to Covid related absences, with the result that:

(a)        significant disruptions to waste services were experienced during September to October 2021 and January to February 2022; 

(b)        general waste and recycling collections were prioritised during these periods. As a result organic and bulky waste collections were delayed or missed in some instances; and 

(c)        as Covid related absences decrease, the waste collection delays are being resolved and the collection of all waste streams are generally on schedule;

(iv)       while some complaints have been received about commercial waste bins, the City of Sydney does not manage commercial waste collection and businesses are responsible for managing their own waste services;

(v)        that in response to recent complaints, Cleansing Operations are:

(a)        sending a response truck to Tusculum Lane on a daily basis to collect any items that have been illegally dumped;

(b)        currently inspecting all streets in the Kings Cross and Potts Point area daily to investigate and identify root causes of the issues; and

(c)        working with staff from City Rangers, Health and Building, the Homelessness Unit to develop an action plan to address the root causes of the issue; and

(vi)       the Chief Executive Officer has advised Councillors via CEO Updates on 1 and 8 April 2022 that City Services are investigating and will report back via a CEO Update on the investigation findings and action plan.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

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