The Rooihuiskraal garden refuse site is currently under pressure as residents use it to dispose of unwanted waste.

This has prompted calls for more responsible use of the facility.

Ward 69 councillor Cindy Billson said residents should use alternative facilities or legitimate private waste-management services when disposing of building rubble, general household waste or other material not accepted at the site.

The backlog became a concern during the last week of August and worsened during the first week of September. Residents also raised concerns about the smell emanating from the accumulated garden refuse. Equipment failure also worsened the backlog.

Billson said the Tshwane Metro had been attending to the backlog and working to clear the accumulated material.

She said recurring backlogs were partly driven by increased garden refuse during spring and summer, when garden-service activity and household gardening increase substantially.

“Seasonal increases in garden refuse are predictable. The metro’s planning needs to be flexible enough to respond to conditions on the ground,” the councillor said.

Garden refuse is normally removed from the site about four times a week. Billson said she was not aware of any permanent change to this schedule.

The recurring backlogs, however, showed that the system did not always have sufficient flexibility when normal operations were disrupted or seasonal volumes increased.

“The municipality has limited resources across the city. It may not be practical to permanently station additional equipment at every site, but there needs to be contingency planning that allows resources and equipment to be redirected when required,” stated Billson.

She explained that the impact of backlogs extends beyond the facility, confirming that illegal dumping in surrounding areas increases when the site becomes congested.

“We have evidence that when a backlog develops at the Rooihuiskraal garden refuse site, illegal dumping in the surrounding area increases.”

She also raised concerns about some residents attempting to bring prohibited material to the site.

“This is unacceptable and places staff in a very difficult position,” she said.

Billson urged residents with building rubble to use an appropriate municipal facility that accepts it or a legitimate private waste-management service.

She also encouraged residents to make use of recycling opportunities, including the monthly Centurion Recycling Day, to divert recyclable material from landfills.

She said preventing future backlogs would require better seasonal planning, preventative equipment maintenance and quicker redistribution of resources when problems arise.

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