Our Council is no longer collecting rubbish bags hung from trees or poles and will only pick up those placed on the kerbside.

It's been common practice in some of our communities to hang rubbish bags from trees or poles to make it more difficult for pests to rip the bags open and strew the contents around.

Our contractor Smart Environmental is committed to removing all bags scheduled for a day's collection, within the specified time. Removing bags hung from trees or poles adds to this collection time and so sometimes not all bags gets picked up as scheduled.

When moving a rubbish bag into the collection truck, Smart staff need to lift the bags from the top so they don't get injured by sharp objects inside.

Some staff have been poked by sharp objects in bags hanging from poles or trees because they've had to hug the bag to lift it down.

These staff pick up many hundreds of bags every day and we all need to collectively help them stay safe while they're doing their job.

So from now on, please place your rubbish bags on the kerbside, on the morning of the collection day.

The bags must be placed by the side of the kerb outside your property. We know for some of you this will be a big shift in your practices. However, your efforts will be sincerely appreciated by both Smart staff and our Council.

Bags hung from trees or poles will no longer be collected. A sticker will be placed on the bag explaining the reason.

Worried about pests getting into your rubbish bag?

If pests are a concern in your area, you can purchase a gullinator from any of our Council offices for $15.

These are the brainchild of Whangamata resident Anna Fryer. They're made from a sturdy plastic mesh, a hoop and a drawstring and sits over your rubbish bag placed on the kerbside to protect it from seagulls.

Alternatively, you can place your rubbish bag inside a rubbish bin with the lid open, so Smart staff can see there's a blue bag inside waiting for collection.

Finally, if you're leaving town before your collection day, please drop off your rubbish at one of our seven Refuse Transfer Stations.

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