Central Coast Council and its waste collections contractor Cleanaway have lifted the temporary pause on new bulk waste kerbside collection bookings after new bookings were temporarily paused on 14 April due to significant staff shortages caused by COVID-19.

From Monday 2 May, residents are able to book a bulk waste kerbside collection at 1Coast.com.au. Bookings are being reinstated through a phased process whereby collections are capped at a daily limit and residents can book the next available date.

Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, Boris Bolgoff said changes to COVID isolation rules and hard work from crews and drivers helped shorten the pause period.

“The NSW Government’s change to close contact isolation requirements allowed staff to get out of isolation and back to work sooner than expected, which has helped the service to be reinstated ahead of schedule,” Mr Bolgoff said.

“Over the last two weeks, Council crews and Cleanaway allocated additional trucks and drivers to address a backlog of almost 6000 outstanding bulk collections. Drivers were tasked to work additional hours including long weekends, to ensure the service could be reinstated for the community as soon as possible.”

Mr Bolgoff said a phased approach to reopening bookings will help to align and manage resource availability while some staff shortages are still being experienced.

“Staff shortages due to COVID are a nation-wide issue affecting the entire service industry, and the nature of this pandemic indicates this remains a constantly evolving situation. Council thanks the community for their patience and cooperation during this time.”

Information for the community

• New bulk waste kerbside collection bookings can be made at 1Coast.com.au
• Residents can book the next available collection date which may be a few weeks from the date of booking
• Do not place items out the front of properties until the day before a confirmed booking

For questions about booking a collection, the community should contact 1 Coast on 1300 1Coast (1300 126 278).

For other enquiries, the community can contact Council via the 24/7 online Customer Service Centre or by calling 1300 463 954.

For more information, search ‘bulk waste kerbside collection’ on Council’s website centralcoast.nsw.gov.au.

ENDS