MIDCOAST Council’s flood waste kerbside collection is coming to an end and affected members of the community will need to have all flood waste placed on the kerb by Sunday 9 May to take advantage of the free service.

The free kerbside collection has been running non-stop since the floods and Council contractors will be undertaking a final sweep of the region’s flood affected areas from Monday 10 May, after which time the free kerbside collection will finish.

“It is important that anyone who still has flood waste in their homes or yards moves it to the kerbside by Sunday 9 May to take advantage of this free collection service, as it will cease after this time,” Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Paul De Szell, explained.

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Mr De Szell added that Council is aware that there are still a number of community members who are unable to place their flood waste on the kerbside and will need assistance to remove and dispose of the waste.

“We are not turning our back on any members of our community who need assistance – this is simply an end to the kerbside collection.”

Those who need assistance are required to register for the help they require by phoning Council’s flood recovery hotline on 1300 545 040.

Council has collected more than 45,000 tonnes of flood waste in the six weeks the free kerbside collection has been running – almost double the yearly red bin waste for the entire region.

“While we are moving into a recovery phase, we will still be working on a case by case basis with those who need us, we remain committed to this clean-up process.”

Council worked with a range of agencies to lead the immediate flood recovery effort including the NSW Police Force, Public Works Advisory, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW SES, NSW Environment Protection Authority, NSW Rural Fire Service and the Australian Defence Force, as well as local volunteers.

“We need to again thank everyone who has been involved in this operation, it has been a huge task and we’re grateful for the support we received.”

There is a range of other assistance available for anyone who has been impacted by the floods, through Council’s flood recovery centre at 2 Pulteney Street Taree.

The centre operates from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturdays.

If you’d like to find out more you can also head to the flood recovery hub on our website www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/floodrecovery or sign up for the flood recovery newsletter.