By Juliano Oliveira
Kerbside collection has been idle since April 2020, and everything indicates that Brisbane City Council will keep it suspended for two years without concessions.
The number of illegal dumping across the city has also increased after the ending of the public service. In the three months before the kerbside collection was scrapped, BCC had received seven reports on rubbish being inappropriately left on the street. This number leapt to 90 three months later.
In Annerley, Brisbane south suburb also affected by the pile-up of rubbish, Aaron Murphy, a 16-year-old student, had the idea of combining the intention of buying his first car with the necessity of cleaning the neighbourhood.
“My mum and I were cleaning up and taking out stuff from our home when we realise that was a lot of money and resources sitting in there,” Aaron said.
“As we don’t have the collection anymore, I have decided to offer a free service where I collect unwanted furniture and household items that I can restore or sell.”
Aaron counts on his mother and father’s help to pick up the abandoned items. They drive him around the suburb since he is a learning driver.
“It’s been pretty amazing. I’ve been meeting a lot of very kind people from the community, and I get to learn more skills during the process.”
“I take the items, then I sell it with free delivery to the next person, giving the object a new life. So it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Parallelly, a petition calling on the Lord Mayor to reinstate Kerbside Collection across Brisbane closed two months ago, gaining 5,436 signatures.
BCC will have to take a position on the subject in the coming months.