REDLAND City Council is looking for someone to run its kerbside bulky rubbish collection service.
It is calling for tenders for a collection and handling service though residents will not be allowed to dump rubbish on footpaths suburb by suburb as occurs in Brisbane.
Instead, residents will call the service and arrange for a pick-up.
Rubbish handled will be those large household items that do not go into wheelie bins.
It will be limited to five items or two cubic metres once a year for collections of things like furniture, bed frames and mattresses, white goods, bicycles, computers and IT equipment.
A range of items will not be collected, including general household waste, garden waste, renovation or carpet waste.
Mayor Karen Williams said residents had sought such a service for years.
"This free service is a unique way of ridding local homes of large bulky items often difficult to dispose of, while at the same time avoiding unsightly waste being dumped on streets as is the case in other cities," she said.
"With this being an on-demand service, residents will be able to call to arrange a time for unwanted goods to be removed from their home rather than having to put them on the footpath."
Cr Williams said the tender was targeted at social enterprises that would be able to provide the service at lower cost while at the same time providing employment and training opportunities.
"Targeting social enterprises is a unique approach that responds to the needs of residents while at the same time keeping costs down,’’ she said.
"While the tender doesn't preclude commercial enterprise, we are specifically looking for service providers that can not only collect bulky waste but also help provide training and employment opportunities to the community."
Cr Williams said the tender also included the establishment of a community recycling workshop where materials would be sorted, repaired and sold or recycled.
"This is a win-win for the city,’’ she said. “It means disadvantaged members of our community will get experience fixing up furniture and other items they collect, which the social enterprise can then sell, helping to finance the fantastic service they provide to the Redlands.
"The tender also includes the opportunity to operate the RecycleWorld facility at Redland Bay where the successful tenderer could generate revenue through the sale of salvaged quality goods from the mainland waste transfer stations. This adds further opportunities for local social enterprises to generate revenue."
