A new waste collection service is being trialled in some areas of the Southern Tablelands. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
Some parts of the Goulburn Mulwaree area will be included in a relaunched kerbside waste collection.
In December 2017, Goulburn Mulwaree Council (GMC) decided to stop offering an annual kerbside collection service (it currently offers two dedicated disposal weekends).
After a lengthy debate in a recent meeting, councillors agreed to establish a one-year return of the kerbside service in the 2026/27 financial year.
Councillor Jason Shephard, who put forward the successful motion, said a decision was overdue.
“The community has waited a long time for this to come back and I call on my councillors to support giving the community what they have asked for and what they need for a one-year trial.”
The trial will be reviewed after it finishes and a report will be presented to councillors.
The success of his motion meant that councillors knocked back one from Deputy Mayor Caitlin Flint.
Under her motion, residents would be able to dispose of two cubic metres of bulky waste twice a year, which would replace the scheduled annual weekend collections.
The council would also put together a list of local suppliers who could help with bulky waste transport, but not be involved in organising any arrangements.
Cr Flint sought to bring in a one-year voucher system. Photo: John Thistleton.
She told the meeting her proposal sought to find a “happy medium” between cost, resident demand and the capacity of the council to deal with the extra waste.
“There’s a plethora of councils still conducting kerbside collection, so I am unsure how they navigate the WHS risks that we can’t overcome.
“But I’m not convinced that reinstating kerbside collections, as we knew them pre-2018, is in fact the answer.”
According to council papers, GMC is paying about $155,000 for two bulky waste disposal weekends, when residents can drop-off items at the council’s waste centres twice a year.
The trial proposed by Cr Shepherd is set to begin in July 2026 and be funded through the Domestic Waste Fund.
Cr Bob Kirk said it would be “irresponsible” to support the proposed kerbside collection as it stood.
He called on his fellow councillors to put off a decision until they had more information about what staff, resources and costs it would require.
“What we don’t know [is] what extra this, that and the other we need [in terms of staffing and other resources for the trial], yet we’re saying, ‘Go ahead’.
“I would rather [that we defer] … Sure, we’ve got some feedback, but I just don’t think we’re in a position to make that decision.”
In response, Cr Christopher O’Mahony said an estimated cost was given in the meeting documents.
In late 2024, GMC also announced it wouldn’t be distributing printed waste calendars to residents.
They remain available online, along with information about the council’s existing waste management services for residents.
Ultimately, Cr Kirk’s vote was the only one against the proposed kerbside collection trial.
Following the meeting, a council spokesperson said the trial would cover households in the current three-bin areas of Goulburn and Marulan, though the May weekend collection was set to go ahead.
“Council is working through the finer details, and residents will receive clear information next year — with plenty of notice so you can get ready,” they said.
