"Trash packers" who say they're being put out of business by the ACT government's green bin rollout are calling for a transition package like that offered to the greyhound racing industry.
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More than 8000 homes in Kambah and Weston Creek have this year opted into a pilot garden waste kerbside pickup service promised by Labor at the last territory election.
Another 6000 Tuggeranong residents have signed up to get a green bin, with the service to begin early next year.
But Tom's Trash Paks Tuggeranong franchisee Lyal Keir said the southerly rollout would "devastate" his business.
He's been running the business with his wife for the past 12 years, and has about 900 clients.
The father-of-two has a large businesss loan, rents his home and has a mortgage on a block of land he hoped to build on.
The plans have sat idle in a drawer since the government pilot was announced.
Once Tuggeranong homes can get their garden waste picked up for free, he believes he will have to sell off everything he can and declare bankruptcy.
"It's impossible to sell the business now because of the green bins. Would you buy it now with the bins coming it? I couldn't advise one of my mates to do it," Mr Keir said.
"The job of government is not to put people into bankruptcy. They're meant to make governments smaller, not bigger."
Mr Keir's fears aren't unrealistic.
Tom's Trash Paks Weston Creek Creek franchisee Bob Craze said he had lost about half of his 700 customers since the green bins were delivered to his area.
"I'm doing it pretty hard at the moment. We lost the value of our business overnight," Mr Craze said.
The 51-year-old had planned to sell his business in the next few years but now can't.
With a business loan, mortgage and one child still at school, Mr Craze wanted to compensated for the loss of business.
"The money to compensate us compared to what the green bins cost would be minimal," Mr Craze said.
AAA Tidy Bags owner operator Steven Kunovec said he'd lost over half of his clients and "way over half" of his income since the green bins were rolled out in Weston and Kambah.
"Once it comes into Tuggeranong it's all over," Mr Kunovec said.
Mr Kunovec has had to lay off two staff and pick up a second job to provide for this three children aged 13, 10 and nine.
He likened his industry's plight to that of the ACT greyhound racing industry, except trash packers were "begging" for help.
"The government haven't come into competition with us, they've wiped us out," Mr Kunovec said.
"We can't sell our businesses now, they're worth nothing."
The ACT Liberals business spokesman Andrew Wall called on the government to explain why existing operators were not contracted to provide the Tuggeranong green bin service.
The Liberals promised a green bin scheme during the 2008 and 2012 election campaigns but their option was voucher-based, giving homeowners the chance to choose an existing operator in their area rather than "cutting them out of the market", Mr Wall said.
He urged government to develop an assistance package for those affected, including financial compensation and grants, training and reskilling and counselling.
"Given the government doesn't want to utilise the existing industry for the scheme an industry assistance package should be delivered to help ensure not just operators but employees given every opportunity to be delivered to help ensure not just operators but employees given every opportunity to upskill or retrain or diversify their businesses," Mr Wall said.
"They should also be given some financial compensation for goodwill given the government is nationalising what has ben a very successful local industry."
City services minister Meegan Fitzharris said the green bin pilot had been called for by the community and received "strong support" so far.
She said the take-up rate of 50 per cent emphasised there had been a "gap in the market for such a service".
"The trash pack operators have had opportunities to tender for the green bins scheme, and we will work with them to identify other opportunities as the ACT's waste industry progresses over the next few years," Ms Fitzharris said.
But Mr Keir said without financial help, he was at a loss as to how to keep his business running.
"What do you diversify into? I'm a truck driver that's basically fit enough to drag things around," Mr Keir said.
