Mayor Jacinta Ermacora and chief executive Bruce Anson said the city-wide survey on three new options was merely a test of community views on how to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill.

They dismissed fears the options of extra collections for greenwaste-organics and hardwaste plus professional bin cleaning would be forced on residents as part of a new garbage contract from next year.

“There is no preconceived decision by council on this,” Cr Ermacora said.

“We are asking people their opinion so we can make a more informed decision.

“Council has to provide a universal waste service and we are looking at ways of making it better.”

Mr Anson said hundreds of survey forms had already been completed and returned by mail or the internet.

He said results would be collated and then discussed by councillors before a vote on whether any of the options would be added to ratepayers’ bills.

“There’s no formula on the level of response that will determine if an option gets up,” Mr Anson said.

“The state government is progressively reducing the amount of waste that should go to landfill and one of the big waste generators is food waste.”

“There may be a time in the future when the government legislates we have to do a certain thing which will have to be introduced, even if 99 per cent of people said they didn’t want it.”

He said there was a misconception that washing rubbish bins and tipping the dirty water on to lawns and gardens was illegal. “Under EPA regulations it’s OK for residential bins, but not for commercial bins.”

Councillors Jennifer Lowe and Peter Hulin told Monday night’s council meeting they had been contacted by many residents concerned about having to pay up to $200 for the extra services.

Cr Lowe later told The Standard the survey form should have had more information explaining why the options had been put forward.

“We just gave the very basics,” she said.

pcollins@standard.fairfax.com.au