THE Lami Town Council has amended garbage removal and disposal by-laws to help the municipality cater for the operational costs associated with waste services.
Town clerk Priya Ieli said the gazetted bylaws were an amended version of laws dating to 1978.
Ms Ieli said the council had to implement amendments because the town no longer used the Lami rubbish dump but carted its rubbish to the Naboro landfill.
She said the council was trying to manage its costs now it had to cart waste to Naboro instead of the Lami dump.
"As the council now has to transport the waste removed from the municipal vicinity to Naboro there are costs associated with it," Ms Ieli said.
She said the new fee was implemented in the absence of any strong negative reaction.
She added that they had conducted a house-to-house awareness when the idea was mooted.
"People have become more conscious of the factors affecting the environment and residents now want and agree to proper disposal of solid and liquid waste.
"We did not face problems faced in Suva and Nasinu municipal councils. Maybe it was because we took a proactive approach."
Under the Lami Town Council bylaws enacted under the Public Health Act, the council may charge a fee of $50 for every three months for the collection, removal and disposal of garbage from any premises.
The bylaw states that the owner of any premises is liable to pay in advance to the council the fee charged under paragraph (1) for the purpose of collection, removal and disposal of garbage from such premises and whether or not a garbage bin is used.
