Maitland will get a Return and Earn reverse vending machine in February.
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That’s the welcome news from the NSW Environmental Protection Agency, who announced the new addition on Thursday.
Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison, who launched a scathing attack on the NSW government over the rollout of the scheme in the Hunter earlier this week, said she was pleased to hear the news but still had “some reservations”.
“I want to make sure the site they pick is easily accessible, that it doesn’t cause noise issues and that it’s emptied regularly,” Ms Aitchison said.
Ms Aitcihson said she had heard of the areas around vending machines becoming “rubbish tips” due to unaccepted bottles and cans being dumped at the sites.
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She said she hoped the location would have enough garbage containers nearby to combat the potential issue.
The announcement is a welcome boost for the much maligned scheme, which was criticised again after the Hotel Tudor in Woodberry pulled the plug on their over-the-counter collection service earlier this week, temporarily leaving the electorate of Maitland without a single collection point.
That came within a month of the Tenambit Takeaway also quitting the service, citing issues with rubbish pickup by Return and Earn contractors TOMRA-Cleanaway, and a week after a reverse vending machine at Kurri Golf Club was shut down due to noise complaints about the truck pick-ups.
Parliamentary secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald, said he never doubted that Maitland was going to get a reverse vending machine.
“I’ve been in touch with the EPA and a decision on the location of the machine is imminent,” he said.
“Maitland will be well and truly covered and I won’t be surprised if Maitland gets more collection points.”
As it stands, the Lower Hunter has two collection points currently operating – a reverse vending machine at Cessnock Woolworths and an over-the-counter collection point at the Huntlee Academy at North Rothbury.
