To view or download this policy as a PDF click Community and General Policies Documents

Purpose

Waste Collection Service
Central Desert Regional Council is responsible for providing regular waste collection services to all rateable
properties within the designated communities and townships within the Council area (currently defined as
Engawala, Atitjere, Lajamanu, Laramba, Nyirripi, Ti‐Tree, Willowra, Yuelamu and Yuendumu.)

Waste shall be collected at least once per week from these properties, unless otherwise ratified by Council.
On collection days, property owners or occupiers must place wheelie bins in a location that is readily and
safely accessible by Council staff.

Council staff are not obliged to collect and empty wheelie bins that are not readily or safely accessible.

Scope

• To ensure regular collection of waste from ratepayers properties
• To ensure wheelie bins are maintained in appropriate condition
• To ensure hazardous car bodies are removed from communities
• To protect public health

Definition and Terms

Users’ Responsibilities

Owners and/or occupiers of properties supplied with wheelie bins have an obligation to maintain the
wheelie bin in good condition, as per the Northern Territory Public Health (Night Soil, Garbage, Cesspits,
Wells and Water) Regulations. These regulations state:

Duties of owner or occupier ‐ An owner or occupier shall:

1. cause all garbage receptacles on his premises to be kept clean;
2. cause all garbage receptacles to be maintained in good order and condition;
3. not at any time allow garbage receptacles to become a nuisance; and
4. keep all garbage receptacles covered at all times.

Legislation and Reference

Northern Territory Local Government Act, 2019
Central Desert Council Rates Declaration (current)
Central Desert Council Plan

Policy Statement

Wheelie Bins and Stands

Council provides one 240‐litre wheelie bin per eligible property, as part of the annual garbage collection
charge.

Additional wheelie bins are available upon request, and will be charged at an additional fee (as adopted by
Council). The collection of second, and subsequent bins, attracts an additional annual garbage collection
charge. (Please refer to Rates Declaration for further information.)

Steel garbage bins, 44‐gallon drums and other receptacles that allow garbage to be burned inside the
container will not be supplied or collected by Council due to Work Health and Safety risks to staff. Wheelie
bins remain the property of Central Desert Council.

The cost of rectifying damage to wheelie bins or other Council property will be recovered from the relevant
ratepayer.

To protect Public Health, Council will repair or replace damaged or destroyed wheelie bins as soon as
practical after identifying damage. This includes damage that:

1. limits the ability of the property owner or occupier to use the wheelie bin;
2. compromises the safe storage of garbage within the wheelie bin; or
3. Limits the ability of Council to collect and empty the wheelie bin.

Where a bin is damaged but not destroyed, Council will limit rectification works to the minimum that
maintains functionality of the wheelie bin.

Where it is more cost‐effective to replace the wheelie bin, this shall occur.

The cost of repairs will be calculated and invoiced as: the Actual invoiced cost to Council of materials and
services used; plus Cost of Council labour, plant and stores used including overheads; all multiplied by 15%.
Where Council provides stands or holders for wheelie bins, the property owner or occupier is encouraged to
use these.

Stands and holders remain the property of Central Desert Council.

The cost of rectifying damage to wheelie bin stands or holders will be recovered from the relevant ratepayer.

Rubbish inside Residential Property Boundaries

Where significant rubbish has accumulated inside the property boundary of residential properties (within
designated communities) and is deemed a Public Health risk, Council will place an empty rubbish trailer or
similar outside that property for one to two days.

Owners and/or occupiers will be encouraged to place such rubbish in the trailer, and this will be removed to
the landfill by Council staff at no charge to the property owner or occupier.

Where owners and/or occupiers do not clean up rubbish and it is done by Council staff to protect Public
Health, the full cost of labour, plant and materials plus 50% will be invoiced to the property owner.

Where rubbish is being deposited onto public land from adjoining rate able properties, and it is cleaned up
by Council staff to protect Public Health, the full cost of labour, plant and materials plus 100% will be
invoiced to the property owner.

Car Bodies

Car bodies located inside property boundaries remain the responsibility of the owner or occupier. Such car
bodies often become significant Public Health hazards, including crushing hazards, fire hazards, snake habitat
and other significant issues.

Council will report such hazardous car bodies to the relevant Northern Territory Government agency, and
will ask the agency to pursue the property owner or occupier to make safe or arrange removal of those car
body or bodies.

Council will only remove such car bodies upon receipt of a Work Order from the owner or occupier. This will
be charged at the ‘vehicle body’ rate as listed in Council’s ‘Fees and Charges’.

Car bodies left on public land inside community boundaries may be removed by Council to protect Public
Health. The registered owner of the car body, or persons deemed the owner of the car body, or persons
claiming ownership of the car body, will be charged at the ‘vehicle body’ rate as listed in Council’s ‘Fees and
Charges’.

Review History