Tweed residents - we are coming to you, no need to go to the tip! A shirewide clean up commences early next week following Ex-Cyclone Alfred.
Thanks to confirmed disaster recovery funding from the Australian and NSW governments, Council will conduct a free residential kerbside collection for yard and tree debris and legitimate cyclone-damaged waste (also known as hard waste, for example, cyclone damaged furniture or items) from ex-Cyclone Alfred.
The residential clean up will commence early next week and be completed suburb by suburb. The suburb collection days will be finalised in the coming days and published to our website and social media.
The Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre is still closed to the public due to flooding and access limitations, which we are working hard to resolve but the facility is not likely to be open until later this week. We will advise the community when the facility reopens, however ask our community to please avoid the tip and let us come to you.
Director of Sustainable Communities and Environment, Naomi Searle assured residents Council has plans in place to support our community as we commence the shirewide clean up and get back to normal.
"Strong winds and heavy rain from Ex-Cyclone Alfred have caused extensive damage across the Tweed and we have a huge task ahead as we clean up the cyclone damage, particularly trees and green debris. We're working closely with the SES and emergency service agencies to clear trees from public and private property as safely and as quickly as possible."
"We understand it has been a difficult few days with power outages, water supply challenges and lack of telecommunication and internet access for many. Ex-Cyclone Alfred has left extensive damage to our beaches, parks and open spaces, water and wastewater network, roads and other community assets," Ms Searle said.
"Our priority is to support our community, so we made the call to focus on a shirewide residential clean up service where we come to you and save you the trip to the tip.
"Not everyone can get to the tip and it can cost time and petrol money. There is also congestion at the tip after weather events, causing further delays and impacts to customers and our waste services. We are asking residents to avoid the tip where they can, but it is an option for fee-free cyclone waste from Saturday 15 March until and including Sunday 23 March 2025."
"While there have been some flooding impacts from this event, we expect the hard waste collection to be minimal. We trust our community will only put out legitimate cyclone-impacted hard waste," she said.
"Please be patient and kind with each other as the recovery from Ex-Cyclone Alfred will take some months while we get our community back on track, have services returned and our Shire cleaned up.
"We ask residents to please help us by reporting trees down, damage to public property or other Council issues on 02 6670 2400 or for non-urgent enquiries, report a problem."
Here are your clean up options:
1. Free kerbside green and hard waste collection – avoid the tip.
- Use your regular green bin service for anything that can fit like leaves, light debris, fronds or unpackaged food waste. Use your red and yellow bin service for hard waste items that can fit.
- Stockpile yard and tree debris or legitimate cyclone/flood impacted hard waste in your private property until the kerbside clean up commences. You can also put it out on your kerb but not on the road or where it would block household bin collections. Please separate hard and green waste as they will be collected by different trucks.
- If you are residential private property and have major safety concerns or are not able to get your yard or tree debris cleared or moved to the kerb for clean-up, please call the SES on 132 500 for assistance.
2. Use your household bin collections continue
- Keep using your regular green, red and yellow bin service. Collections will continue.
- Chat with neighbours ask if you can top up their green bin if there is space.
3. The tip - avoid where possible.
Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre remains closed due to limited road access.
We will advise when this opens to the public.
- Council asks the community to choose the kerbside pickup and skip the trip to the tip.
- When the tip opens, thanks to disaster recovery funding, residents of Tweed Shire local government area only can drop off free waste from the impacts of ex-Cyclone Alfred from Saturday 15 March until and including Sunday 23 March 2025. Residents will need to provide a driver's licence or proof of residency at the weighbridge. Eligible items included are:
- Legitimate flood affected waste from impacted properties
- Green waste from storm damage.
