Property owners with secondary dwellings or granny flats can now opt out of a second waste collection service in what Mayor Helen Blackburn has called a common sense decision.
Previously, additional buildings on residential land which could be used for separate occupation automatically triggered an additional waste collection service.
The charges for the service are applied in half yearly rates notices.
Mayor Helen Blackburn said the inability to allow for exceptions to the rule had been a cause for concern to some community members.
“We have received feedback from homeowners who have added a second dwelling to their property for a member of their family who felt the additional charge should not apply,” Mayor Blackburn said.
“The addition of one person to the household was not enough to generate two extra wheelie bins of waste and recycling so those bins sat unused.
“There was potential for that family member to have already been living in the primary home and simply be moving to a granny flat on the same property.
“When this was brought to our attention it was a simple, common sense decision which we were pleased to rectify in the delivery of the 2025-2026 budget.”
Residents can now make an application through the online form to be exempt from the additional charge where they can show the secondary dwelling or granny flat is occupied by a member of the same family that owns and lives in the primary house.
Rating adjustments for successful applications apply from the date the application is approved.
The form to opt out of an additional waste collection service can be found on Council’s website here.
Other stories:
