General News
18 February, 2026
Bins, wildlife and short-stay rentals put pressure on Halls Gap’s image
THE sight of wheelie bins tipped over on kerbsides, rubbish scattered by wind or wildlife, and cockatoos tearing into plastic lids in search of food is has become far too familiar in parts of Halls Gap.
Now, Northern Grampians Shire Council says it is preparing a formal response, acknowledging growing concern from residents about how waste issues are affecting both daily life and the town’s image.
“Council is aware of ongoing concerns among Halls Gap residents about mess resulting from bins being left out on kerbsides for long periods of time,” council said in a statement released via social media.
“We understand the town’s amenity is affected by wildlife getting into bins and making a mess, which is frustrating for residents and not the image we want to project to visitors.”
Council said officers have been undertaking patrols and gathering data in Halls Gap to better understand the scale of the issue, with a report now being prepared for the March 3 council meeting.
“Our officers are in the process of preparing a report for the March 3 council meeting, which will include a recommendation for a proposed solution,” the statement said.
In the meantime, council reminded residents and property owners of their obligations under its General Local Law 2022. Under the law, rubbish bins must not be placed out for collection more than 24 hours prior to collection day and must be removed within 24 hours of collection day.
“Residents and property owners are also responsible for cleaning up any rubbish blown from their bins or removed from their bins by wildlife,” council said.
The issue has prompted strong reaction online, including from former garbage truck driver Max Sheffield, who said short-term rental properties were a significant factor.
“Having been a garbage truck driver for many years, and collecting in and around Halls Gap, one of the problems is that many of the houses are short term rentals,” Mr Sheffield wrote.
“Sometimes the renters place the bins out as they leave, this bin may be out for 6 or 7 days, the cockys love that!” he said, “A lot of landlords live elsewhere and are not interested in correcting the problem.”
“After the bin is emptied it is left out and gets blown over into the street, just another problem for the garbo.”
Council has encouraged residents to report bins left out after collection day, or rubbish spilt from bins, via the Snap, Send, Solve smartphone app.
A few days ahead of the March 3 meeting, the council agenda will be published on council’s website, with a livestream link also to be shared on council’s Facebook page.
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