Engagement findings

The engagement findings have now been compiled and you can download a copy of the report here or in the Document Library on this page.

What we heard

From 17 March to 18 April 2021 the My Say Freo page had 410 visits. We received 237 submissions received in total, via My Say Freo (135), a separate random sample completed online (87), and submission boxes, post and email (15).

There was a lot of satisfaction with the current service. Many people appreciate the ease and convenience of having a verge collection and the opportunity for community reuse. For those who don't like the current system, wanting more frequent collections and disliking the untidiness were the most common reasons for dissatisfaction, with a number of other concerns raised.

About one third of respondents had an interest in investigating alternative options, particularly on-demand services.

A follow up workshop was held on Thursday 6 May with 16 residents attending to hear about different collection models. Presentation slides from this workshop are available under Workshop Resources.

Please read the engagement report for full details on the input we received.

Next steps

The City will continue to provide residents with an avenue to manage bulk goods. The current verge collections are popular, however as many suggested there may be an opportunity to reduce waste, increase recycling, reduce illegal dumping, improve amenity and provide more flexibility.

Informed by trends and research in the industry, the City is considering four main options:
• Business as usual (scheduled verge collections);
• On-demand (pre-booked) verge collections;
• On-demand (pre-booked) skip bin service; or
• A hybrid of the different types of services.

A business case is being developed which will look at the feasibility of each option for Fremantle and further examine the input that was provided.

A report including the business case is expected to be presented to Council in the second half of 2021, and all submitters will be notified when the agenda is available for this meeting.