Torres Shire Council
To lead, provide & facilitate
IMPORTANT NOTICE
DOMESTIC GARBAGE COLLECTIONS
Torres Shire Council is soon to be making changes to the domestic garbage collections on Thursday Island and Horn Island.
Due to our location and the logistics involved in disposing of household and commercial waste the cost to run this service is very substantial and this service is paid by the ratepayers of the Torres Shire.
Council is always looking for ways to try and make services more cost effective and in particular the garbage collection service.
In the coming months the domestic garbage collection will reduced to a once a week service. So this does not adversely impact on the amount of waste you normally have collected with the current 120 litre wheelie bin collection. Council will issue each household with a new much larger 240 litre wheelie bin.
Delivery of a new garbage truck and compactor is also expected in the coming weeks and this unit will be a one person operation. It will pick up the wheelie bins from the kerbside with a side loading hydraulic arm.
Things to know about your domestic wheelie bin:
For the collection of household waste from residences:
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The wheelie bin remains the property of the Torres Shire Council.
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Each wheelie bin has a serial number that allows Council to match it with the property it was issued to. This allows Council to replace any damaged bins at no cost to the resident.
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For lost or stolen bins a replacement fee applies.
Bin size:
Waste that can go in your domestic bin:
Waste that cannot go in your domestic bin:
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No Car batteries
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No solvents, paints, chemicals, oils, flammables
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No construction demolition, dirt, bricks or concrete
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No hot ashes
How to prevent odours in you wheelie bin:
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Wrap kitchen scraps in paper and place in a tightly sealed plastic bag before placing it in the bin.
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You can freeze waste foods (particularly meat & fish) and place them in the bin just before collection. This slows down the bacteria that breaks food down and causes odours.
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Ensure your bin in not overfull and that the fly proof lid is properly closed.
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Keep your bin in a cool shady area.
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Compost household waste that decays (vegetable scraps, etc.)
Collection days:
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At present your service is twice weekly. You will be notified well in advance of your new collection day when the service reduces to once per week.
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Place your bin on the kerbside by 6:00am on collection day.
*Placement of bin for collection:
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Once the new waste compactor is in service you will be required to place your bin out in the correct manner for collection. This means that bins will need to be placed at the kerbside next to your driveway, in a clear and unobstructed area with the wheels facing the property and the lid opening to face the road.
*Do not place your wheelie bin:
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Under or next to a tree, power pole, street sign or other obstruction
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Within 1 metre of another wheelie bin
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Behind a parked vehicle
*Do not:
*Any of the above will impede the lifting mechanism and could mean that your bin cannot be emptied.
Commercial Users:
There will be no change to the number of collections provided to commercial users. All commercial bins currently in service will be replaced in the coming months with equivalent size bins that will have different coloured lids to identify the commercial bin from the domestic bin.
As the new compactor does not have the facility to lift the 1100 litre bins that are currently in service they will be replaced with 5 x 240 litre wheelie bins. Commercial users are required to place their bins in the same manner as domestic bins.
Further information:
Should you encounter any problems relating to:
Please telephone Torres Shire Council on 4069 1336 or email admin@torres.qld.gov.au
