Decision details

By Councillor Weldon

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         the alarming number of reports of missed waste collections in the City of Sydney in recent weeks and over the last 12 plus months;

(ii)        that resident’s bins are overflowing and that garbage is accumulating in streets across the Local Government Area;

(iii)      the collection of household goods was suspended for a number of weeks in 2022 and again at the start of 2023;

(iv)      the City of Sydney's waste management services are not meeting the expectation of the local community;

(v)       that although high unemployment and Covid-related staff absenteeism are shared challenges, waste management services in neighbouring Local Government Areas have not been impacted to the same extent as in the City of Sydney;

(vi)      the recent industrial action has only exacerbated long-term systemic issues with waste management services in the City of Sydney;

(vii)     that, as elected representatives, the Lord Mayor and Councillors are responsible for ensuring that waste management services meet the expectations of the local community;

(viii)    that, since the start of this year, Councillors have made repeated requests for additional information and urgent briefings regarding the deterioration of waste management services and the City of Sydney’s response;

(ix)      the information provided in briefings and reports to Council’s has not sufficiently addressed Councillors’ questions and concerns;

(x)       when Councillors requested the City of Sydney’s contract with Cleanaway, the Chief Executive Officer directed them to a significantly redacted copy. It was only after further requests that Councillors were provided with the unredacted contract;

(xi)      that the majority of Questions on Notice submitted by Councillors ahead of the February Council meeting have yet not been answered; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         provide a comprehensive report to Council detailing the deterioration of waste management services and the City of Sydney’s response, including short- and medium-term measures to mitigate the current challenges and rapidly improve waste management services;

(ii)        review the collation and reporting of missed waste collections and response times to ensure that the information provided to Council is current and accurate;

(iii)      provide an ongoing quarterly update to Council regarding the performance of both the City of Sydney’s primary waste management contractors and overall waste management services; and

(iv)      make Cleanaway’s ongoing quarterly service reports available to Council (and provide previous reports dating back to the commencement of Cleanaway’s current contract in 2018).

Note – at the meeting of Council, the content of the original Notice of Motion was varied by Councillor Weldon. Subsequently it was –

Moved by Councillor Weldon, seconded by Councillor Ellsmore –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         the alarming number of reports of missed waste collections in the City of Sydney in recent weeks and over the last 12 plus months;

(ii)        that resident’s bins are overflowing and that garbage is accumulating in streets across the Local Government Area;

(iii)      the collection of household goods was suspended for a number of weeks in 2022 and again at the start of 2023;

(iv)      the City of Sydney's waste management services are not meeting the expectation of the local community;

(v)       that although high unemployment and Covid-related staff absenteeism are shared challenges, waste management services in neighbouring Local Government Areas have not been impacted to the same extent as in the City of Sydney;

(vi)      the recent industrial action has only exacerbated long-term systemic issues with waste management services in the City of Sydney;

(vii)     that, as elected representatives, the Lord Mayor and Councillors are responsible for ensuring that waste management services meet the expectations of the local community;

(viii)    that, since the start of this year, Councillors have made repeated requests for additional information and urgent briefings regarding the deterioration of waste management services and the City of Sydney’s response;

(ix)      the information provided in briefings and reports to Council’s has not sufficiently addressed Councillors’ questions and concerns; and

(x)       when Councillors requested the City of Sydney’s contract with Cleanaway, the Chief Executive Officer directed them to a significantly redacted copy. It was only after further requests that Councillors were provided with the unredacted contract; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         provide a comprehensive report to Council detailing the deterioration of waste management services and the City of Sydney’s response, including short- and medium-term measures to mitigate the current challenges and rapidly improve waste management services;

(ii)        review the collation and reporting of missed waste collections and response times to ensure that the information provided to Council is current and accurate;

(iii)      provide an ongoing quarterly update to Council regarding the performance of both the City of Sydney’s primary waste management contractors and overall waste management services; and

(iv)      make Cleanaway’s ongoing quarterly service reports available to Council (and provide previous reports dating back to the commencement of Cleanaway’s current contract in 2018).

The motion was lost on the following show of hands –

Ayes (4)     Councillors Ellsmore, Jarrett, Scott and Weldon

Noes (6)     The Chair (the Lord Mayor), Councillors Chan, Davis, Gannon, Kok and Scully.

Motion lost.

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