Deputy Mayor Graham McNeil is defending the council’s decision to adopt a user pay system for maintaining weekly red bin garbage collections once the Food and Organics (FOGO) waste service is introduced in Muswellbrook Shire next month.
Councillors decided eight votes to four this week to pass on the cost of additional bin space and maintaining weekly collections for those that require it while the pick up will become fortnightly for everyone else.
Councilor McNeil said it’s only fair to charge ratepayers extra if they want to maintain weekly red bin collections and or require extra bin capacity.
“The cost of the service has to be covered by the fees that council charge,” he said.
Under the changes, residents can apply to the council for another bin As well as maintaining weekly pick ups.
“If you break it down I guess to something people can relate to, the additional cost is less than a coffee a week.”
