[LINK] Surveillance in extremis

[Geoffrey Ramadan]

Howard Lowndes wrote:
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1719462.htm
>
> Council under fire over 'bin-bugging'
>
> New South Wales Deputy Premier John Watkins is demanding Ryde Council 
> in Sydney's north-west come clean about monitoring devices that have 
> been placed in thousands of residents' bins.
There is no "monitoring" device placed in bins. They are simply adding 
RFID tags to identify the bin. In this case, it is no different than 
adding a barcode. The issue is barcodes are problematic in this type of 
application (hard to keep clean).

>
> Mr Watkins, also the Member for Ryde, says Council has placed tracking 
> devices in up to 90,000 bins to monitor the level of waste coming from 
> each household.
The waste trucks pick up the bin, identify the bin (and therefore 
registered owner) by reading the RFID tag. As the bin is emptied, a 
camera is used to inspect the contents of the bin by the 
operators/drivers. They use the on-board computer to record any issues 
(contamination).
This information is used to provide statistics, and warning notices and 
educational material to the owners.

The system can a also be used to record other incidences and council 
maintenance items on its route (eg. hole in road etc)
>
> He says the Council has failed to consult ratepayers about the 
> installation of microchips in garbage bins and that residents need to 
> know what is behind the 'bin-bugging'.
Case studies have shown the Councils save money by better recycling and 
better used of resources.

>
> "Will it result in higher rates or increased charges for heavier bin 
> loads?" he said.
This system does open up the possibility of charging by "weight" but I 
am not aware of any Councils seriously contemplating this.
>
> "Residents really deserve to know the answer before the surveillance 
> starts, not after.
This should result in saving cost... though I doubt if Councils will 
pass these saving on. Once one residence contaminates a bin the whole 
load has to be dumped at a cost to the council (plus the losses of 
recycling) The idea of this system is to identify rates payers that are 
adding cost by not recycling correctly.

>
> "Residents at the end of the day are paying for this covert caper - 
> they've got a right to know what's going on."
>
> He says ratepayers were not consulted about the 'bin-bugging'.
Covert! bin-bugging!.. what paranoia

>
> "They've stuck tracking bugs on 90,000 garbage bins, including my 
> family's, without telling us anything about it and as a ratepayer I'd 
> like to know what they're up to," he said.
It would have helped if the Council advised in advance what was going on 
and why.

>
> "I'm getting calls from other ratepayers who are asking what's 
> happening with strange men late at night putting things on their bins."
>
Such systems are commercially available and have already been deployed 
in some councils.
http://www.adilamtech.com.au/Waste%20Advetisment%20Rev2.pdf

Regards
Geoffrey Ramadan B.E.(Elec)
Chairman, Automatic Data Capture Association (www.adca.com.au)
and
Managing Director, Unique Micro Design (www.umd.com.au)