FAQs

Hard waste are items that cannot fit in a regular bin and are usually quite large such as fridges, washing machines, couches, cupboards, wardrobes, furniture, mattresses, and similar items.

It does not include recyclable items, building materials or regular household rubbish.

The provision of a user pays at-call service, provided once per financial year to residential properties (only) on a district wide basis. 

It is anticipated that the service would be performed by a social enterprise organisation to manually dismantle the collected hard waste (to achieve resource recovery) and the residual waste would be disposed of to landfill.

The estimated annual cost to deliver the preferred option is $300k per annum. It is proposed that the service is fully cost recovered based on a user pays approach i.e. the user of the service is charged a fee upon requesting the service. Based on this principle, the estimated fee per service is between $130-$140 per collection.

For those deemed to be disadvantaged (e.g. Concession card holders and others meeting certain eligibility criteria consistent with Council’s Fees and Charges Set by Delegation Policy) a subsidised fee would be offered equating to a 20% discount on the standard fee. In this case, the estimated fee would be between $100-$110. The number of people falling into this category is approximately 20% of the Mount Barker population. 

It is anticipated that only 15% of residential properties would utilise the hard waste service (based on industry experience). Therefore, it is more equitable for those properties that wish to use the service to pay for it, rather than the majority of residents having to pay for a service they will not use. The provision of a hard waste service is not included in Council’s Long Term Financial Plan. The estimated annual cost to deliver the preferred option is $300k per annum.

All residential properties within the Mount Barker District Council area would be eligible to use the service.

Each residential property would be entitled to one (1) at-call collection per financial year.

Yes. For those deemed to be disadvantaged (e.g. Concession card holders and others meeting certain eligibility criteria consistent with Council’s Fees and Charges Set by Delegation Policy) a subsidised fee would be offered equating to a 20% discount on the standard fee. In this case, the estimated fee would be between $100-$110. The number of people falling into this category is approximately 20% of the Mount Barker population.

Indicative and subject to change:

• Bedding 
• Bikes and toys
• Dismantled clothes line
• Floor coverings and window coverings - eg. carpet, rugs, lino, curtains, blinds - up to 2m lengths
• Furniture
• Hot water services and air conditioners
• Lawn mowers
• Mattresses - limit of 2
• Metal - eg. sheets of iron and guttering - up to 2m lengths
• Pottery and crockery
• Rainwater tank
• Tools and gardening equipment
• Timber off cuts or dismantled pallets (bundled and up to 2 metre lengths)
• Unbroken glass, mirrors and shower screens
• White goods - refrigerators and freezers, washing machines and driers, stoves
• Wire, ropes and hoses (bundled)

Indicative and subject to change:

• Ammunition, explosives or flares
• Asbestos
• Bricks, rocks, dirt, pavers, concrete and building materials
• Car batteries
• Clothes and shoes
• Electronic appliances (e.g. TV's, computers and anything with a battery or cord)
• Fire Extinguishers
• Garden waste, pruning’s and branches
• Gas bottles
• General waste
• Glass broken (panels of sheet glass including broken panels)
• Hazardous waste eg. Liquid waste, Chemical waste, paint
• Motor Oil
• Nappies
• Pharmaceuticals and medical waste (medicines, syringes, needles etc)
• Plastic film/loose plastic bags
• Recyclables
• Tyres and car parts
• Vacuum bag dust and general household dust  

Council is undertaking community consultation during May 2021. Upon conclusion of the consultation, a further report will be provided to Council summarising the findings. Subject to the findings, a formal procurement process would follow to select a service provider with the anticipated start date for a new hard waste service being early 2022.

Once resource recovery (i.e. reuse, repurpose, repair, recycle, recycle) is undertaken the residual waste would disposed of at the Brinkley Waste and Recycling Facility.

The model being proposed provides a high level of reuse and/or recycling as the waste is manually separated (not compacted in the back of a truck). Resource recovery (i.e. reuse, repurpose and recycle before disposal) is estimated to be 30%.

There is not sufficient evidence to support that the introduction of a hard waste service will impact positively or negatively on illegal dumping behaviour.

Each residential property would be entitled to place 2 cubic metres (2m³) of material out for collection once per financial year.

The hard waste investigation aimed to provide a service that would meet the needs of the community whilst being cost effective and environmentally responsible. There are many combinations of service options that could be considered. The investigation focussed on developing options that met the evaluation criteria (resource recovery, equity and cost) and varied based on the combinations of the following factors:

•    service type (at-call (kerbside) collection or voucher for WHTS, skip bins;)

•    method of collection (flatbed truck or rear lift compactor truck – at-call service only);

•    opportunity for resource recovery (diversion via reuse/ repurpose/ recycling); 

•    disposal method (landfill or Processed Engineered Fuel); and

•    financial contribution (council pays or user pays/ subsidised).

The community currently has access to a number of services for the disposal of some hard waste items which support resource recovery. These include:   

• the Windmill Hill Transfer Station for recycling
• the Salvage and Save facility and the Scout Recycling Centre at Windmill Hill,
• the Mount Barker Community Centre which is connected to the Men’s Shed and ReVamp,
• other alternate options such as privately selling, donation to charity, etc.

You may contact Sarah Barrett, Strategic Resource Recovery Coordinator on sbarrett@mountbarker.sa.gov.au or 0419 957 310.