Pay-As-You-Throw Idea Angers South Australian Residents

Residents in South Australia are blasting a proposal to change households for the amount of waste they throw out, calling it “unfair.”

The ‘nappy tax,’ is a pay-as-you-throw idea and would allow households to pay lower council rates. However, households would then be charged an additional cost for each kilogram of trash they throw away. Ultimately, the less a household throws away, the less they pay.

Peter Malinauskas, South Australian Premier, reassured residents that weekly trash collection services weren’t going anywhere.

"We don't think there should be a change on council's obligations to provide that service on an ongoing basis - so yes - we can rule it out," Malinauskas said.

"We will not be changing that in any way shape or form."

The pay-as-you-throw option was flagged as part of a government review into curbside collection. The premier’s stance opposes that of the senior public servant behind Green Industries SA, who told a parliamentary committee that it was “an option on the table” back in September.

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