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I DISAGREE with Lake Macquarie City Council charging ratepayers an extra $300 annual fee to retain a weekly red bin collection service ("Extra bin collection service attracts fee", Lakes Mail, December 4), and here's why.
Last financial year, council asked ratepayers:
■ Do you wish to pay the same rates next year and retain existing/current council services?
■ Do you wish to pay less rates next year and reduce council services? or
■ Do you wish to pay increased rates and receive more/improved council services?
Residents voted to increase rates and receive more services, not to have services cut then be charged extra to have them re-instated!
If council wishes to streamline the bin collection service, which is a good idea, then ask residents individually what they want.
Large families such as ours, with four small children, should be able to retain services already paid for in this financial year's rates, and the next into 2016, without incurring an extra $300 annual fee.
If the council must charge an extra annual fee then make it reasonable considering the rates increase we are already paying.
This fee is clearly in breach of the agreement with ratepayers mentioned above.
Not only this; there are health issues associated with full bins and rotting rubbish and nappies.
People will simply put rubbish in their recycle and garden bins, or be forced to dump it elsewhere.
- Darren Holt, Rathmines