The flood clean-up for the Tweed will begin this weekend with bulk waste collection starting on Sunday, dependent on water levels dropping and safe road access to the Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre (tip).
Council, the NSW Government and waste contractors have partnered to commence the large-scale clean up as soon as possible, following the worst floods in the Tweed's recorded history.
Mayor of Tweed, Chris Cherry said the clean-up will be enormous and poses a logistical challenge.
"We are still in the response phase of this flood event and getting ready to support our community to recover," Cr Cherry said.
"While we have successfully restored water supply to the majority of the Tweed and been able to remove level 4 water restrictions, we are also announcing plans to commence the huge task of the flood clean up," she said.
"It's best to leave your flood-affected items out the front rather than taking them to the tip to avoid congestion – we'll get to you over the next few weeks."
Waste options available for residents and business:
Flood clean up: Council will be coordinating emergency kerbside collection in flood-affected areas only. Council will attend flood-affected areas over the next 2 weeks (pending safe access). See below for timings.
Free access to the Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre (Tip) for flood-affected loads: Once the facility is open again, flood-affected residents and businesses will be able to drop off flood-generated waste for free for 2 weeks until Monday 21 March. Please wait for the street pick-up if you can to avoid congestion. Proof of Tweed resident status and flood-affected address will be required at the weighbridge. Waste from non-flood affected residents from households outside the flood-impacted areas will not be accepted for free.
Normal household clean-ups: Households with a domestic red wheelie bin collection service qualify for 2 free household clean-ups per financial year. These should be used where residents were not flood-affected, or for any additional larger items that need to be collected after the flood clean-up has been completed.
Normal bin services: As access allows, bin collections services are returning to normal for the Tweed's red-lid landfill, yellow-lid recycling and green-lid organics bins. They will operate this weekend where they can get access. If your service has been missed, please continue to leave your bins out and they will be emptied as soon as possible. Please ensure food waste and any garden or yard waste is placed in the green-lid organics bin. Please be patient and use the organics bin even if it takes a few weeks, as this ensures the material will be turned into mulch, not landfill.
When is the flood-clean up happening?
A Shire-wide flood clean-up operation will commence from Sunday 6 March to allow residents and businesses to get their waste to the kerbside. (Unfortunately road access is hampering this occurring sooner). A free kerbside collection will be available in flood-affected areas for all flood-generated waste.
From Sunday 6 March, the priority areas will be:
- Murwillumbah CBD
- South Murwillumbah and Condong
- Uki, Stokers Siding, Tyalgum and Chillingham
- Burringbar, Mooball and Crabbes Creek
Either later in the week or the week commencing 14 March (exact date will depend on water levels and access to properties), the focus will be on:
- Tumbulgum
- Bogangar/Cabarita Beach and Pottsville
- Chinderah and Fingal Head
- Tweed Heads South, Tweed Heads West and Banora Point
