City of Parramatta Council will investigate the feasibility of a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin service, despite some Councillors trashing the idea.
Councillor Pierre Esber recently put forward a notice of motion seeking support for Council to investigate the cost-benefits and feasibility of transitioning residents to a FOGO service.
The idea is nothing new, with Penrith, Inner West and Randwick among the 43 Councils that already offer the kerbside FOGO service.
In a bid to encourage more Councils to get on board, the State Government announced $24 million in stimulus funding last year to encourage and improve kerbside separation of food and garden waste.
The FOGO service allows for some foods to be added to the green-lid garden waste bin, to be recycled into compost for use in agriculture, forestry and sporting field improvements.
Cr Esber said the initiative was necessary in order for Council to meet its waste target of 85 per cent diversion from landfill by 2038.
“It’s going to take time, will we get it right at first? Probably not; but it’s all about educating the community and bringing them along with us in the program,” he said.
Greens Councillor Phil Bradley commended Cr Esber on the motion.
“It’s long overdue,” he said.
“I see this as a really positive step to seriously reducing our waste to landfill which is a growing, costly problem.”
But some Councillors were not convinced, with Independent Councillor Lorraine Wearne calling the initiative a “furphy”.
“This is about trying to look good on the numbers,” she said.
“I can’t see how you’re going to train people to stick their potato peelings in a bin but not the scraps on a plate.”
In October 2020, Council received funding from NSW EPA to assist its to transition towards an improved food and garden organics compost product.
A further NSW Environmental trust grant received will facilitate a FOGO service trial across 1000 multi-unit dwellings (96 complexes).
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.