PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Ardwell Irion called on Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs to resolve uncertainty surrounding garbage collection at apartment buildings, warning that the new collection contracts could leave residents facing the same problems unless government clarifies its policies and provides adequate funding.
Speaking at Parliament’s meeting on waste, wastewater and related developments, Irion supported MP Veronica Jansen-Webster's concerns about how apartment complexes are treated under garbage collection arrangements.
“We just need more common sense,” Irion said, calling for practical policies that reflect how people live and how residential development is changing.
Jansen-Webster questioned whether the new contracts would exclude properties with more than three apartments from collection, and whether the threshold referred to dwellings, apartments, or garbage bins.
Irion argued that the government’s housing ambitions must be matched by arrangements to collect the waste those homes will generate. He referred to the minister’s stated ambition to build 1,000 homes annually, saying increased housing density would require construction upward and greater reliance on apartments.
He challenged what he described as treating apartment properties as commercial premises for garbage collection, arguing that the government must distinguish between residential occupation and commercial waste generation.
According to Irion, the published garbage collection contracts do not adequately address the issue. He warned that haulers could decline collection at apartment buildings because they are not being paid to service those properties.
“How are we going to resolve this?” he asked.
Irion questioned whether an addendum to the contracts would be necessary and whether the 2027 budget would provide the money required to accommodate the service.
He also demanded answers about garbage bin availability, describing an apartment property with 16 units served by only two bins.
Irion said he had raised the issue repeatedly over the preceding two years and questioned previous indications that bins were available on the island.
“Where are the bins?” he asked.
He requested confirmation that the draft 2027 budget includes additional funding for garbage bins, warning that approving a budget without addressing the shortage would leave Parliament and residents repeating the same complaints the following year.
Irion also called for a clear policy that distinguishes commercial buildings from residential apartment properties for waste collection. He asked whether the minister could deliver that clarification within the coming weeks.
His intervention added a budget and contract dimension to Jansen-Webster’s earlier questions about whether residents would have to arrange their own disposal despite generating ordinary household waste.
Irion further criticized delays in receiving written answers arising from Central Committee budget discussions. He said the delays reduced the time MPs had to examine the responses before the next stage of budget deliberations.
He indicated that he would no longer support procedural arrangements allowing answers to be delivered later, arguing that Parliament should receive the information in time to scrutinize the government’s proposals.
The MP also criticized the ministry’s public communication, saying residents need more assurance about what is being done to address waste management problems.
In a pointed political criticism, Irion argued that Gumbs’ party had previously campaigned on procurement and garbage collection issues and should now be held accountable for how it handled those responsibilities.
In the same discussion, MP Darryl York also pressed the minister on garbage bin capacity and enforcement.
York asked for the findings of an assessment examining whether neighborhoods have enough bins, noting that some streets have experienced substantial housing growth without a corresponding increase in collection facilities.
He also demanded clarity on penalties for commercial operators who allow garbage to accumulate and asked whether legislative changes are needed to make enforcement more effective.
York questioned whether environmental inspectors would be empowered to issue administrative fines and requested the current penalties for sewage pollution and commercial waste violations.
The latest exchanges placed a practical question before the minister: whether the new contracts, available bins and proposed budget will adequately serve an island where more residents live in apartment buildings.
The supplied remarks did not include Gumbs’ answers to Irion’s or York’s questions.