Northern Grampians Shire Council is getting on the front foot to tackle ongoing issues with litter and waste management in Halls Gap.
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Waste has been a significant problem for the tourist town, with public bins often overflowing at peak times and wildlife scavenging through the bins, leaving a trail of litter behind them.
Council is in the process of introducing initiatives to combat the issues which frustrate both residents and visitors.
"We are looking into bin straps attached to bin lids which would hook under bin lids and keep the likes of kangaroos and other friendly nature out, and making sure it doesn't pile out if pushed over," Northern Grampians Shire Council executive operations manager Trenton Fithall said.
"It is litter control and it also stops encouraging animals from pushing the bins over.
"The strap would be made of a heavy duty, rigid plastic with one on each handle. They are also designed to release when trucks pick them up."
Council is in the process of identifying how many straps are required. They will be available to all residents in the shire, but targeted towards those living in Halls Gap.
Options are also being explored with compactor bins to address the issue of overflowing public bins in Halls Gap.
"We do have a waste issue at the moment with public bins. We have been exploring different ways to increase intake capacity," Mr Fithall said.
"In Melbourne's CBD there are bins that compact rubbish as you feed it in, catering for a lot more rubbish.
"This is an idea that is really appealing to us. Right now we are sorting out what we can afford but it could be something that makes a big difference."
Mr Fithall said despite a focus from council on public bins during peak times, alternative methods of management need to be looked at.
"Compactor bins have been on the agenda for a little while. We increase service level at peak times, with people out there twice a day over Easter, but it isn't sustainable to maintain that level of service all year," he said.
"Compactor bins will allow more capacity without increasing the number of bins which is a great thing since we are sympathetic to the aesthetic of the town."
Council is also looking into sustainable waste management methods.
"We are investigating Wastemasters. What you do is deposit organics into a bin that shoots out dirt rather than waste," Mr Fithall said.
"We are still early on in that process but we would love to find ways to take organic waste out of normal bins and make the most of it."
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