PNG city battles garbage pile-up

12/07/2008 07:07:38

The residents of the Papua New Guinean city of Mt Hagen are calling on their council to remove the piles of garbage piling-up on the streets.

Pacific correspondent Campbell Cooney reports Mount Hagen hasn't had a garbage collection service for around six months.

The city's been involved in court action over the rates its charges and the region's provincial government has stopped it collecting them.

The city's council says that means it can't pay for rubbish removal, and city manager Richard Culligan says the rubbish is piling up.

"It's all over the place, around the site we used to go and pick it up. "

There's already been reports of sickness amongst visitors and residents due to the growing piles of garbage.

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