WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH

The Examiner Newspaper: Council services cop low satisfaction rating  July 25, 2013, midnight ... CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE

The LGAT satisfaction survey revealed that 12 per cent of Tasmanians believe waste management needed improvement, even though that service received the second-highest satisfaction rating at 77 per cent ... A LOCAL government satisfaction survey has returned the lowest score in 12 years.

It is rather interesting that this article drew these online comments: 

• tassied – given our state's location and population, I'm not sure what the ultimate answer is but councils need to do more on e-waste. the LCC facility will, as I understand it, only take TVs and computers & peripherals - what about all the other electronic things such as clock radios, microwaves, old CDs, turntables, power tools etc etc etc - any wonder there had to be a huge cleanup at Corra Lynn the other day
• Alpal – About 6 months ago I took an old busted stereo and a fire damaged microwave to the Remount Rd facility. They accepted them without any problems at all.
• tassied – well, maybe i'd better try again but i was definitely not given the impression that those sorts of things were not accepted as e-waste - they could go in as general rubbish, which isn't environmentally acceptable
• Alpal  – Now I think about it I didn't even ask - I took it from the back of my vehicle and gave it to staff at the e-waste area. Hopefully that's the system they used to deal with it. I wasn't charged anything. Good luck with yours.
•  Cedric O'Donnell –  The email circulating by Barry Hodge obo COUNCILS NOW [ CLICK HERE] does not address the concerns and complaints by ratepayers. Whether the local government staff like it or not, they are part of the problem and this cannot be shifted over to the elected councilors so easily. Senior council staff are most to blame, because it is at that level that the day to day operation of council is delegated. It is a skilful General Manager that keeps his council bickering and distracted whilst the senior staff do what they like.
Waste management is NOT misunderstood by the ratepayers and they want a more responsible solution to this. More recycling and less landfill, but these options are not provided. Rediculously expensive mechanisation like the moving floor at Remount Road Tip are not the sort of solutions requested by ratepayers and they had no say in this at all. The entire concept came from staff who managed as usual to hoodwink councilors.
Recycle and separate at the source is the only way to go, not dump it all into a single collection bin and then contaminate the lot which is so utterly stupid. 
• Poo City – With the appalling state of the Tamar , I would refuse to pay my rates ...
talk about fiddling while Rome burns - EVERY level of govt should be sacked ..

COMMENT: Barry Hodge on COUNCILS NOW is a confusing insertion into the Local Govt. debate.  Yet again, the tail is wagging the dog!  There are plenty of issues that might be debated but council officers and/or their supporters do nothing at all to improve the ways local communities interact with their local governments and those employed by them when they apparently support Barry Hodge and his merry band. 

Councillors and Aldermen are accountable to their communities and council staff are ultimately accountable to them. However it seems that councillors and aldermen are increasingly allowing their officers to act alone and not necessarily in ways that are respectful of constituents' needs and aspirations.

Waste management is but one issue and their is unlikely to be any change here until councils change the signs over the gates of waste management centres to resource recovery centres.