Small Bins Removed From Recycling Plan

The Dunedin City Council has decided on it's new recycling service. (ODT report here). But there will be no choice of a small bin.
In the consultation, the preferred Option C had a choice including a 40 litre, lidded, stacker bin especially for smaller properties or those with steps.
The smaller bins were an essential part of Option C: they catered for residents without much space, or with steps. Without them many people, including myself, would not have supported this option.
And why was this change in the Option which was consulted on, not mentioned in the Council press release? With this kind of omission, it can be fairly described as propaganda. Especially when it was praised as a good deal, when a significant amount would have been saved by the unmentioned reduction in choice.
This may well turn into yet another Council bungle.

Response from Councillor Andrew Noone:

The Councils preferred option was as you describe during the Annual Plan process, however when tenders were sought we asked contractors to provide options for the enhanced service.

Of the four conforming tenders none were prepared to provide the lidded/stacker bin for a reasonable price for these reasons:

1) lidded stacker bins are not robust enough for mechanical pick up, there seemed to be a problem with the lids hinge and the handles. This was news to the Council. Several were broken when contractors tested them.

2) the industry have far higher standards re health and safety these days and are moving towards using only left hand drive vehicle/single operation, so the driver is the only person in the vehicle, hence mechanical pickup.

3) the wheelie bins have a 12 year guarantee, contract is for 7 years. The lidded stacker bins had a much shorter life, sorry cannot recall length of guarantee.

4) the media were told about the reasons for the change but did not include those reasons in the article.

If individuals are physically unable to wheel bins to the kerbside then arrangements can be made with the contractor by providing a medical certificate for a back door service.

Update:
The ODT now has this story.