In a major change for the region, councillors voted on Tuesday to replace the weekly pick-ups. 

The change, which will start in July, will see 240-litre garbage bins picked up fortnightly and recycling bins picked up weekly. 

Currently, the 240-litre garbage bins are picked up weekly, while the 240-litre recycling bins are collected fortnightly. 

Symthesdale butcher Peter Holston said he couldn’t understand the reasoning behind the change. 

“It just doesn’t make sense to me,” he said. 

“I’ll tell you right now, my rubbish already stinks when it sits there for a couple of days ... this will be horrible.”

Cape Clear resident James Solomon shared the same sentiment. 

“That is ridiculous,” he said. 

“I hope our garbage collection charges are halved then.”

Golden Plains Shire mayor Des Phelan said the change was necessary for the region, adding it would push residents to think about other waste management methods. 

“It will no doubt cause some inconvenience initially but, just like any other change, when people get used to it they will accept it,” Cr Phelan said. 

He also said garbage collection charges, which are more than $180 a year, would drop under the new system. 

“Change is needed here and the hard decisions need to be made,” Cr Phelan said. “At the end of the day, it is costing us more to dispose of garbage per tonne.

“And our percentage of rubbish being dumped is way above the state average and we’ve got to do something about that.”

Cr Phelan said the council had considered the plan extensively and came to the conclusion that it was a sensible decision. 

“We all have to take more responsibility when it comes to our rubbish,” he said.

“It’s all well and good to just dump rubbish in the bin ... but more thought needs to go into it.”

patrick.byrne@fairfaxmedia.com.au