By establishing Waste Collection Zones, we hope to reduce the amenity and environmental problems arising from the collection and on-street storage of waste bins. The zones will help alleviate issues related to noise, dumped rubbish and overflowing bins as well as road congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and pedestrian safety.

If introduced, the fee-paying model would only apply to businesses using the garbage compactors. Residents would not pay any additional charge to use the garbage compactors. Recycling services will continue to be provided at no cost to businesses or residents.

The amount that each business would have to pay to use the waste compactors, if a fee-paying model is introduced, has not yet been determined.

Feedback is being sought on which of the following fee-paying models would work best:

• Flat-fee – businesses are charged a set fee to use the garbage compactors. The fee may be annual or monthly
• Tiered-fee – businesses are charged a set fee depending on the type and size of their business. The fee may be annual or monthly.
• Pay-by-weight – businesses are charged each month depending on the amount of garbage disposed in the compactor.

Each WCZ would be a large inner-city block. Six locations have been identified. These include the areas where communal garbage and recycling facilities are already provided for businesses and residents, which would be likely to be the first WCZs. Other WCZs may be established in the future.

Access to the garbage compactors has been at no cost to businesses since they were introduced. However, each compactor costs around $150,000 to operate annually. By introducing a fee-paying model for the use of compactors, we can expand the service, ensure the sustainability of innovative waste services and their continued operation for the long-term.

The garbage compactor is a machine that compresses garbage. An access card is needed to use the garbage compactor. To use the garbage compactor, you simply place your card in the ATM-like slot, wait for the lid to open, place bags in the machine, press start and then retrieve your card. The garbage compactor is for all types of non-recyclable materials, such as garbage bags containing food and soft plastic, polystyrene and waxed cardboard boxes.

The recycling hubs have two types of recycling bins: yellow-lidded bins for mixed recycling, and blue bins for cardboard. The yellow-lidded mixed recycling bins can take glass containers (jars, bottles), aluminium and steel cans, milk or juice cartons or bottles, plastic containers and empty oil tins. The blue bins are for flattened cardboard boxes only.

A report on the proposed operation of the Waste Collection Zones and community feedback, including the fee-paying model, will be presented to Council in June.

No. Businesses and residents do not have to use the garbage compactors and recycling hubs. However, under the Waste Collection Zones proposal, private bins would not be allowed to be stored in the public space.

Under the Waste Collection Zones proposal, private bins would not be allowed to be stored in the public space. “Private bins” means any bins other than the communal waste and recycling facilities. Private bins may be business or residential bins and includes residential bins that are provided by City of Melbourne.

Under the Waste Collection Zones proposal, private bins would not be allowed to be stored in the public space. If you currently store your bins outside in the public space, you would need to make space within your property boundary to store them. You would still be allowed to put them outside when they need to be emptied/collected by your waste collection company. If you can’t make a space inside your property then you would need to arrange for the bins to be removed and to use the communal waste and recycling facilities instead.

If you currently store your bins inside, you won’t be required to make any changes. Bins will still be allowed to be placed outside when they need to be emptied/collected by your waste collection company if that’s what you do now.