HUNDREDS of bins stolen from the city's kerbside and properties has racked up a hefty bill for replacements.
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In the span of eight months, Wagga City Council has received a total of 339 stolen bin replacement requests from its residents, at a cost of $22,875.
The council is anticipating another 171 replacement requests will be made by the end of the 12-month period.
In response to the newly adopted fees and charges for the replacement of bins, Wagga council's corporate services director Natalie Te Pohe said the council needs a clear process that indicates when a resident is responsible for paying the fee for a new garbage, recycling or FOGO bin.
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The average cost to replace a bin for domestic purposes is $70 per bin.
Ms Te Pohe said residents who are not a fault should not be forced to spend money on a replacement when it is out of their control.
"Unfortunately bin thefts are reasonably common, remembering that everyone has three bins as part of their service too," she said.
"It is not unusual and that is disappointing.
"At the moment, and for some time, the council has not charged for stolen, missing or damaged bins, but the fees and charges provide that we must do so."
The process of requesting a new bin from the council will require residents to provide a police event number or statutory declaration, which will waiver the replacement cost.
The addition of a statutory declaration will ease the strain on police resources, according to Ms Te Pohe.
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She said the council has also reached out to the city's real estate agents, asking them to consider incorporating bins and kitchen caddies on the rental inspection checklist in a way to further reduce the number of requests.
About 77 kitchen caddy replacements have been sought between January and August, which totals to $616 - and estimated to increase to $924 in a full financial year.
"It is understood that many of the caddies are requested from new tenants whereby the caddy is missing from the property they are now renting," she said.
"There were significant concerns ... that charging for kitchen caddy replacements may have a potential flow on impact to the use and success of the council's Food Organics Garden Organics service."
The council's fee clarifications will be on public exhibition for a period of 28 days from October 12 to November 9.