Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) is urging residents not to dispose of batteries and embedded battery devices in their bins after waste in a garbage truck again caught on fire on Thursday, 2 July.
The garbage truck was undertaking the domestic kerbside collection run along Lonsdale Road, Minore when the driver noticed smoke coming from the garbage truck’s load in the early hours of the morning.
The driver promptly emptied the load, and emergency services were called with NSW Fire and Rescue attending to extinguish the fire.
The load of garbage that was emptied onto the road was cleared away once the fire was extinguished.
Manager Resource Recovery and Efficiency Luke Crittenden said it is believed that batteries caused the fire this time.
“Garbage trucks are high-valued assets, not just in the cost to replace them but the service they provide to our community. We had a similar situation in August last year when a truck driver had to empty the load in a Dubbo street.
“The quick action of the driver has ensured the garbage truck was not damaged however an extensive clean-up along Lonsdale Road had to be undertaken,” Mr Crittenden said.
Hazardous and prohibited items that cannot be placed in bins include lithium-ion batteries, rechargeable batteries, embedded battery devices, flammable liquids such as petrol, paint thinners and gas cylinders that are either full or empty.
“Council has a free recycling program for embedded battery devices and household batteries at Whylandra Waste and Recycling Facility or the Wellington Transfer Station.
“Household batteries can also be dropped off at the Customer Experience Centres at Dubbo and Wellington and the Dubbo Library in the designated stations so that outcomes like this can be avoided,” Mr Crittenden said.
For more information about the Community Recycling Centre visit www.dubbo.nsw.gov.au.
