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58
SECTION G.
REFUSE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL.
Mr. Crowe reports :—
A weekly collection of household refuse is now undertaken
from some 24,000 premises in the district.
Previously the southern and rural parts of the area were
visited fortnightly, but as from 1st April, they were also visited at
weekly intervals.
Every effort is made to maintain a regular weekly collection
on the same day each week. It was found necessary, owing to the
number of new buildings erected, to re-organise the rounds so that
each team visited approximately the same number of premises
each week.
A relay system is operated. A team of collectors work with
two collecting vehicles and drivers. The work is so arranged that
when one vehicle is travelling to and from the refuse tip, all the
collectors are engaged on loading the remaining vehicle.
There are five such teams working in the district and each
team collects from approximately 3,800 premises each week. The
weight of refuse carried by each collector during a week is about
14 tons.
The rural parts of the district are served by two single vehicles
working entirely separately, one vehicle and driver being hired
from a contractor.
In addition, frequent collections are made each week from
two large hospitals and weekly collections from the numerous
schools, vehicles and personnel apart from the normal teams being
engaged on this work.
A Trade Refuse collecting scheme was commenced on the
1st October, 1957, a vehicle with driver and collector being
engaged on this work, and weekly collections are made from some
300 shop premises and offices for which an annual charge is made.
The drivers and collecting teams worked well during the year
and the rounds were quickly restored to normal after the
disturbance caused by Bank Holidays. A particular word in
praise of Mr. Honess, the foreman, is due for his excellent support
during the year.
The Council owns a fleet of fourteen side-loading refuse
collecting vehicles, which includes a 10 cubic yard diesel-engined
vehicle put into service on the 1st April, making four dieselengined
vehicles in all now in use. It is the Council's policy to
replace petrol-driven engines as further vehicles are purchased.