Clothing bins to be removed

Gosford Council has decided to ban all clothing collection bins from public land including those that provide income for charities.

However, the bins can still be set on private land, such as at service stations or on church land.

The move came about after complaints from ratepayers and a push by councillors Debra Wales and Lynne Bockholt, to remove the bins due to continual dumping of household rubbish at the bin sites.

However some charities, such as Lifeline which gets about a quarter of its income from the bins, have expressed concern at potential revenue loss from the decision.

Lifeline chairman, Mr Neville Boyce, said the organisation currently had 21 bins in the Gosford area.

Cr Bockholt said the bins were an eyesore and something needed to be done.

"We have to make the hard decisions," she said.

Cr Wales said the bin removal was "never intended to be a witch-hunt on charities".

"I don't want the issue to be clouded with emotion," she said.

"They should be put in school yards, service stations and so forth, where they can be monitored."

Cr Malcolm Brooks wanted to know why Council allowed commercial operators to compete with charities and was concerned good-meaning people were donating clothes to commercial operators thinking they were helping charities.

Council agreed to the bins' removal from Council land within four weeks for commercial operators and eight weeks for charities.

Council also agreed to help charities find alternative locations.

Carl Spears, May 31