Rodney Stevens

A new bulky waste removal program will commence in the Clarence Valley Council area in the second half of 2023 after councillors voted unanimously to start the program from July 1 at the March meeting.

Due to implications associated with the management of Covid, Clarence Valley Council (CVC) opted out of providing the bulky waste collection, also known as kerbside pickup service, in 2020, a decision that resulted in no bulky waste collection for two years.

The service usually occurs in April-June and the new bookable service, available online and via phone, will be available within a couple of months from 1 July 2023, council papers stated.

At the August 23, 2022, meeting council accepted a tender from JR Richards and Sons to provide waste collection and processing services for the next 10 years, with a key change being the move away from an annually scheduled one-off bulky waste service to an on-call system providing greater convenience and timing to suit individual household needs.

Council documents noted JR Richards and Sons advised that new, more modern and smarter waste collection vehicle plant items will be available for servicing the Clarence Valley from July 1, 2023.

At the March 28 CVC ordinary meeting Cr Debrah Novak moved the officer’s recommendation:

“That Council opt not to provide a bulky waste collection service before 30 June 2023 to enable a smoother transition to the new bulky waste collection model that will commence from 1 July 2023 under the new 10-year Domestic Waste Management Contract.”

This was seconded by Cr Jeff Smith and supported unanimously by councillors.