Lake Macquarie city council has provided a solution to the vexing problem of where to put bins in the tight footprint of retirement villages.

However Russell Ware, CEO of Rosedale Gardens at Cooranbong, is not delighted with the outcome.
A spokesperson for the council said catering for the needs of retirement villages had been resolved by direct consultation with management.

Five options had been made available, including a variety of sized bins and even sharing between units. But for Mr Ware, the problem remains of where to put them.

"For better or for worse the council has made the decision to take on the system and we all have to pay for it and I accept that. I just can't accept the bins,” he said. "I know it seems odd that I should need council consent not to take what I have to pay for, but there it is."

Council is willing to negotiate. "If none of those [options] are appropriate then council is happy to negotiate directly with the villages on an individual village management basis," said a spokesperson for Lake Macquarie city council.