Shire of Waroona makes ministerial representations in effort to prevent being forced to implement FOGO bin

High costs to homes in introducing a three bin system has the Shire of Waroona headed for a showdown with the State Government. Under the State’s existing waste strategy, all Perth and Peel councils will be required to implement a third bin for food and organic waste by 2025. However the Shire of Waroona says a third FOGO bin would cost residential ratepayers 35 per cent more in charges, due to the small number of users compared with the establishment and service delivery costs.. Currently the State is reviewing is reviewing the strategy and has called for submissions, which the Shire has provided to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. The Shire has also looked to escalate their concerns by sendinga submission direct to Environment Minister Reece Whitby. The council’s submission outlines the Shire’s view that “low-cost sorting, recycling and reuse technology” should take precedence over the three-bin system. The submission states “the issues faced by the Shire of Waroona being a regional shire, are very different to the other urban Shires within the Peel Region.” “The Waroona district is predominately rural and agricultural spread over a large area, with a few small townsites having low populations. “There is limited infrastructure or support to manage waste, and the costs of collecting and transporting FOGO waste, is cost prohibitive for a Shire with such a small rate base.” Waroona Shire’s submission claims town site ratepayers would be hit by a 35 per cent increase in waste costs and environmental benefits would be offset by increased transportation distances. Waroona Shire president Mike Walmsley said the council was hoping to receive an exemption from the requirement to implement a FOGO bin system. “It is not an opt-in for our ratepayers, everyone has to do it, so we are concerned about the costs,” he said. “I think we have got other ways to deal with organic waste, particularly in a rural council like ours.” The neighbouring Shire of Murray and City of Mandurah also only have a two-bin system for ratepayers, while the Shire of Harvey joined other South West councils in adopting a FOGO bin in 2019. Submissions for the review close on Tuesday, July 11.