Residents outraged: Could your neighbourhood be next in disturbing 'maggot invasion'?
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Many Australian councils are adopting new waste management strategies to create a greener, more sustainable future.
However, these well-intentioned plans are not without their challenges, and some residents are finding themselves amid a rather unpleasant situation.
The introduction of a statewide mandate for weekly organics pick-up by July 2030 has sparked a heated debate among communities, with some residents describing their suburbs as 'maggot-infested' garbage tips.
The NSW Government's bill aims to reduce household waste by mandating councils implement a weekly organics pick-up. Local councils have responded in varied ways.
Some have already rolled out the scheme, including those in Sydney's Inner West, Penrith, Parramatta, Randwick, and Woollahra.
However, this has often meant reducing the size of red bins (for general garbage) or altering their collection schedules to accommodate the new service.
The Inner West Council, for example, initially moved to a fortnightly red bin pick-up when it introduced organics bins at the start of 2024.
This decision was met with significant community backlash, leading to the introduction of an 'opt-in' scheme for weekly collection.
Residents were up in arms over the smell and the increase in maggots and flies, which they attributed to organic material in the new bins and red bins being left to fester for up to two weeks.
As the scheme and the summer heat intensify, the stench has become a significant point of contention.
Former Erskineville resident Graham Simmons, who has since relocated to the NSW Central Coast, expressed his shock at the smell when visiting his son in Newtown over Christmas.
'I was walking down King Street, and it’s just really grotty and filthy,' Mr. Simmons said.
'There’s just maggots everywhere. It’s just about public health.'
The smell has become so unbearable that some residents leave their bins on the street rather than bring them in from the kerb.
While introducing the bill, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe acknowledged the issue.
‘We are aware of the smell issues – this mandated collection frequency aims to address that,’ she said.
Despite the challenges, some residents see the benefits of the new system.
Marrickville resident Nick Blundon believes the concept needs refinement, noting that his FOGO bin is often quite empty and suggesting a combined FOGO and red bin pick-up each week.
Briony Louise, also from Marrickville, appreciated the ease of composting more materials, including meat and dairy scraps, but acknowledged the green bin could get smelly and sometimes attract maggots.
On the other hand, Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone is vocally against the scheme, particularly for Western Sydney families.
He argued that a weekly large red bin is 'essential' for areas with larger families, where nappies and other waste could create significant odour problems and health concerns.
Despite the outcry, the Inner West Council has reported that the FOGO scheme has diverted more than 20,000 tonnes of organic material from landfill, equating to seven Olympic pools of FOGO.
However, the immediate issues residents face overshadow the scheme's success.
As we navigate the complexities of environmental sustainability and community well-being, it's clear that one-size-fits-all solutions may not be the answer.
Different areas have different needs, so waste management strategies must be adaptable and considerate of each community's unique challenges.
In other news, dozens of councils across Australia overhauled their rubbish collection systems since last year to promote sustainability, introducing FOGO bins to cut down on waste.
The City of Moreton Bay planned to distribute 116,000 green-lidded garden organics (GO) bins to residents, marking one of the largest bin rollouts in the country. You can read more about it here.
Have you experienced similar issues with waste collection in your area? Do you have suggestions for how councils can balance environmental goals with the practical needs of residents? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments below.
However, these well-intentioned plans are not without their challenges, and some residents are finding themselves amid a rather unpleasant situation.
The introduction of a statewide mandate for weekly organics pick-up by July 2030 has sparked a heated debate among communities, with some residents describing their suburbs as 'maggot-infested' garbage tips.
The NSW Government's bill aims to reduce household waste by mandating councils implement a weekly organics pick-up. Local councils have responded in varied ways.
Some have already rolled out the scheme, including those in Sydney's Inner West, Penrith, Parramatta, Randwick, and Woollahra.
However, this has often meant reducing the size of red bins (for general garbage) or altering their collection schedules to accommodate the new service.
A statewide plan for weekly organics pick-up by July 2030 has been met with complaints and bad smells from residents and councils in NSW. Credit: George Clerk / iStock
The Inner West Council, for example, initially moved to a fortnightly red bin pick-up when it introduced organics bins at the start of 2024.
This decision was met with significant community backlash, leading to the introduction of an 'opt-in' scheme for weekly collection.
Residents were up in arms over the smell and the increase in maggots and flies, which they attributed to organic material in the new bins and red bins being left to fester for up to two weeks.
As the scheme and the summer heat intensify, the stench has become a significant point of contention.
Former Erskineville resident Graham Simmons, who has since relocated to the NSW Central Coast, expressed his shock at the smell when visiting his son in Newtown over Christmas.
'I was walking down King Street, and it’s just really grotty and filthy,' Mr. Simmons said.
'There’s just maggots everywhere. It’s just about public health.'
The smell has become so unbearable that some residents leave their bins on the street rather than bring them in from the kerb.
While introducing the bill, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe acknowledged the issue.
‘We are aware of the smell issues – this mandated collection frequency aims to address that,’ she said.
Despite the challenges, some residents see the benefits of the new system.
Marrickville resident Nick Blundon believes the concept needs refinement, noting that his FOGO bin is often quite empty and suggesting a combined FOGO and red bin pick-up each week.
Briony Louise, also from Marrickville, appreciated the ease of composting more materials, including meat and dairy scraps, but acknowledged the green bin could get smelly and sometimes attract maggots.
On the other hand, Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone is vocally against the scheme, particularly for Western Sydney families.
He argued that a weekly large red bin is 'essential' for areas with larger families, where nappies and other waste could create significant odour problems and health concerns.
Despite the outcry, the Inner West Council has reported that the FOGO scheme has diverted more than 20,000 tonnes of organic material from landfill, equating to seven Olympic pools of FOGO.
However, the immediate issues residents face overshadow the scheme's success.
As we navigate the complexities of environmental sustainability and community well-being, it's clear that one-size-fits-all solutions may not be the answer.
Different areas have different needs, so waste management strategies must be adaptable and considerate of each community's unique challenges.
In other news, dozens of councils across Australia overhauled their rubbish collection systems since last year to promote sustainability, introducing FOGO bins to cut down on waste.
The City of Moreton Bay planned to distribute 116,000 green-lidded garden organics (GO) bins to residents, marking one of the largest bin rollouts in the country. You can read more about it here.
