Lakeside residents facing a huge cleanup after the damaging storms over the weekend are calling on Wollongong City Council to waive fees at the tip for them to dispose of their waste.
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The extent of the damage from the storms have caused the Prime Minister to declare the Illawarra and Shoalhaven natural disaster areas.
Residents of Lakeview Pde at Primbee have been cleaning up rubbish including broken bottles, syringes, furniture, and plenty of green waste – pine needles, grass clippings, pieces of trees and other debris. There was even a dead cat washed in.
Resident Craig Dean, 33, said the waste is contaminated so it can’t simply be put in the green waste bins – and some of the debris could be dangerous.
So Mr Dean, a diesel mechanic, has started a Facebook campaign to convince Wollongong City Council to open its rubbish tip for free for residents to dispose of the rubbish the storm delivered from around the streets to their yards. He phoned council numerous times without any success.
“I’ve got elderly neighbours who have a lot of rubbish on their property,” Mr Dean said. “Some of them aren’t even sure how they’re going to get rid of it.”
Lakeview Pde residents said council could also provide some skip bins at a discount rate to help residents with the costs of cleaning up.
Cash will soon flow from federal and state governments to help local councils, and means-tested individuals, with repairs.
But more than five days after the deluge began, the council has not decided what it will do to help these residents with the cleanup.
Mr Dean said the waste and debris did not come from Lake Illawarra but from the streets.
“This is rubbish, and pine needles, grass clippings – they didn’t come from the lake,” he said.
A Wollongong City Council spokesman said the council would soon decide what it will do on the issue.
“Council is considering its options regarding green / general waste from the recent storm event,” he said.
“We will advise shortly as to council’s direction.”