Cr Gander said while JR Richards had begun collecting rubbish in some parts of town there were several areas, particularly in Bowen, where items discarded weeks ago were still awaiting collection.

“There’s lounges that have been burnt out and left on the footpath waiting to be picked up,” he said.

“There are people that are coming along and scavenging, taking what they want and leaving a mess behind.”

Cr Gander said in some cases people were discarding their household rubbish alongside the bulky items, and this created a bigger mess as animals broke open the bags looking for food.

“There are ferals around who abuse everything that’s done for them,” he said.

“It’s disgusting.” 

Cr Gander said he planned to ask council to find an alternative to the current bulky waste scheme, and will suggest residents be asked to buy a ticket and pay a nominal fee to arrange for their discarded items to be picked up at a pre-arranged time.

Orange City Council spokesman Nick Redmond said a mechanical breakdown in one of the two specialist trucks used by council’s contractors, JR Richards, to collect the bulky waste had led to major delays.

“The residents’ bulky waste is collected by a truck which crushes the waste as it is put into the back of the truck,” Mr Redmond said.

“JR Richards have been trying to source an alternative back-up truck from another depot. 

“If that vehicle arrives mid-week as expected, JR Richards are expecting to be able to clear the backlog by the end of this week or early next week.”

Mr Redmond said residents continued to put out more waste after the bulky waste collection period had ended. 

“Our contractors are telling us that waste is appearing again in streets where the bulky waste has already been taken away,” Mr Redmond said.

“The council is asking residents to be patient with the delays but is urging them not to use the delay to put out extra waste.

“When it happens, the bulky waste is collected separately in two collections, one with steel for recycling and one with all other waste.”

Mr Redmond said if a truck went past your house without stopping, don’t assume your waste had been missed. 

He said the bulky waste scheme was reviewed each year and that’s when council would  decide whether changes should be made.

tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au