By David Kavanagh | posted on November 22, 2019
THE launch of a new waste management service in Albany could be postponed by around six months at next Tuesday’s council meeting.
Councillors will vote on deferring the kerbside Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection service from its original January start date to the first quarter of the 2020-21 financial year.
City Waste Project Officer Julie Passmore wrote in a report tabled at a Development and Infrastructure Services Committee meeting on November 13 that the City currently had “no facility capable of accepting FOGO waste”.
“The City’s current Greenwaste Processing Contractor is implementing the modifications required by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) to permit them to accept, transport and process food waste,” she wrote.
“It is unlikely that the modifications to the facility, approvals and contractual changes will be in place by January 2020.”
Council initially resolved to adopt the service requiring Albany residents to separate their food and garden organics into their green bins in May.
It was implemented with the aim of diverting waste from landfill, reducing emissions associated with decomposing food and improving community waste and recycling habits.
Executive Director of Infrastructure, Development and Environment Paul Camins said the City had a responsibility to ensure all requirements are in place before the service begins.
He noted the delay could allow the service to be implemented alongside the Better Bins program, which allocates $30 per urban household to ensure all bin lids in urban residential collection areas are consistent with Australian standard colours.
The City was last month notified it would receive more than $450,000 in DWER funding for the program.
“Bin lids and caddies for FOGO would be delivered together, reducing delivery and component costs,” Mr Camins said.
“Rather than sending out two separate sets of communication at different times, amalgamating the rollout … will allow the City to combine communication materials.
“Delivering one project instead of two separately will also consolidate a range of other costs associated with project delivery.”
