❓ Question on the cost, implementation, and funding of the three-bin FOGO system in WA, with a focus on local government responsibilities and potential financial impacts. The answer clarifies funding sources, timelines, and local government powers.
AnsweredQoN 4790Legislative Assembly
Asked
19 February 2019
Member
Portfolio
Environment; Disability Services; Electoral Affairs
QuestionView source ↗
I
refer to the State Government’s decision to establish a three-bin rubbish
collection system and ask: (a) What
is the cost of the three-bin strategy: (i) Who
will meet the costs; (b) What
will be the overall cost of supplying a kitchen caddy and a year’s supply of compostable liners to WA families: (i) When
will the kitchen caddy and liners be distributed
to WA families; and (ii) Which
government agency will fund the supply the kitchen
caddy and liners; (c) As
the Minister has said it was up to councils to take whatever actions were necessary to ensure households followed the new rubbish rule what powers
will be entrusted on to WA local
governments to police the policy: (i) Who
will fund local governments’ extra burden of
monitoring compliance to the three-bin system; (ii) Will
the Minister’s department scrutinise local governments
to ensure they are enforcing the three-bin
strategy and if yes, how will that be done; and (iii) What
actions can the Minister or his department take
against local governments that don’t comply with
the three-bin strategy; (d) How
much funding will be made available to local governments
to help them pay for the new rubbish bins; (e) Has
funding already been allocated to the City of Melville, which plans to roll out the three-bin strategy permanently in June: (i) If yes, how much funding; and (f) Can
the Minister rule out an increase in local government rates to enable councils to cover the costs of the three-bin strategy?
refer to the State Government’s decision to establish a three-bin rubbish
collection system and ask: (a) What
is the cost of the three-bin strategy: (i) Who
will meet the costs; (b) What
will be the overall cost of supplying a kitchen caddy and a year’s supply of compostable liners to WA families: (i) When
will the kitchen caddy and liners be distributed
to WA families; and (ii) Which
government agency will fund the supply the kitchen
caddy and liners; (c) As
the Minister has said it was up to councils to take whatever actions were necessary to ensure households followed the new rubbish rule what powers
will be entrusted on to WA local
governments to police the policy: (i) Who
will fund local governments’ extra burden of
monitoring compliance to the three-bin system; (ii) Will
the Minister’s department scrutinise local governments
to ensure they are enforcing the three-bin
strategy and if yes, how will that be done; and (iii) What
actions can the Minister or his department take
against local governments that don’t comply with
the three-bin strategy; (d) How
much funding will be made available to local governments
to help them pay for the new rubbish bins; (e) Has
funding already been allocated to the City of Melville, which plans to roll out the three-bin strategy permanently in June: (i) If yes, how much funding; and (f) Can
the Minister rule out an increase in local government rates to enable councils to cover the costs of the three-bin strategy?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 March 2019
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Environment; Disability Services; Electoral Affairs
Response time
7 days
(a) The cost of delivering a three bin food organic and garden organics (FOGO) kerbside service depends on a number of factors including contract arrangements and choices around service provisions. The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 (Waste Strategy) sets out a 2025 target date for FOGO services in the Perth and Peel regions in order to provide time for local governments to transition towards better practice services. FOGO services can deliver savings to local governments by achieving higher material recovery rates which reduces the cost of disposing waste to landfill.
(i) The provision of waste management services remains the responsibility of local governments. I have asked the Waste Authority to consult with local governments to develop a program that builds on the Government’s Better Bins program and supports local governments to transition to FOGO services. I will consider advice from the Waste Authority informed by this consultation in future decisions on Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account funding.
(b) Publicly available information indicates one-off kitchen caddie costs are likely to be between $5 and $10, while rolls of compostable bags, to line the kitchen caddies, are likely to cost less than $10 per year per household.
(i)-(ii) Local governments will manage the timing of FOGO service and infrastructure rollout. The Waste Authority will develop and deliver a program on behalf of the State Government which supports local governments to introduce three bin FOGO kerbside services by 2025. The details of the program will be finalised after the Waste Authority’s consultation with local governments. The program will be funded through the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account using revenue raised from the waste levy.
(c) The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2007 (WARR Act) already includes provisions for local government waste services, for example creating or amending local laws. Local governments that do not already have a three bin FOGO system can use these provisions to rollout this new bin system in Perth and Peel regions.
(i) Local governments’ existing role in implementing and reporting the performance of kerbside services will be unchanged. The Waste Authority will continue to support local government delivery of kerbside systems, examples of which have included:
(ii) The WARR Act contains powers for the CEO of the department administering the legislation to require a local government to prepare a waste plan that outlines how waste services will be managed to achieve consistency with the State Waste Strategy. These powers would be exercised by the CEO of the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). Where relevant, local governments would be required to address in their waste plan how they intend to deliver FOGO services by 2025.
(iii) Through an updated Better Bins program, the Waste Authority will provide positive financial incentives for local governments to implement FOGO services in the Perth and Peel regions.
(d) The existing $20 million Better Bins program encourages local governments to move towards a three bin system. I have asked the Waste Authority to consult with local governments to develop a program to support the adoption of FOGO services. Part of that process will require developing a program budget for my consideration. Funding details will be included in future business plans.
(e) (i) Under the State’s Better Bins program, $1,181,370 has been allocated to the City of Melville.
(f) The Minister for Environment has no control of local government rates and charges. These are set by local governments. A recent trial of the FOGO system demonstrated significant long-term savings for the City of Melville. The Mayor of the City of Melville has indicated rates could potentially fall over time as a result of a FOGO system.
(i) The provision of waste management services remains the responsibility of local governments. I have asked the Waste Authority to consult with local governments to develop a program that builds on the Government’s Better Bins program and supports local governments to transition to FOGO services. I will consider advice from the Waste Authority informed by this consultation in future decisions on Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account funding.
(b) Publicly available information indicates one-off kitchen caddie costs are likely to be between $5 and $10, while rolls of compostable bags, to line the kitchen caddies, are likely to cost less than $10 per year per household.
(i)-(ii) Local governments will manage the timing of FOGO service and infrastructure rollout. The Waste Authority will develop and deliver a program on behalf of the State Government which supports local governments to introduce three bin FOGO kerbside services by 2025. The details of the program will be finalised after the Waste Authority’s consultation with local governments. The program will be funded through the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account using revenue raised from the waste levy.
(c) The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2007 (WARR Act) already includes provisions for local government waste services, for example creating or amending local laws. Local governments that do not already have a three bin FOGO system can use these provisions to rollout this new bin system in Perth and Peel regions.
(i) Local governments’ existing role in implementing and reporting the performance of kerbside services will be unchanged. The Waste Authority will continue to support local government delivery of kerbside systems, examples of which have included:
(ii) The WARR Act contains powers for the CEO of the department administering the legislation to require a local government to prepare a waste plan that outlines how waste services will be managed to achieve consistency with the State Waste Strategy. These powers would be exercised by the CEO of the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). Where relevant, local governments would be required to address in their waste plan how they intend to deliver FOGO services by 2025.
(iii) Through an updated Better Bins program, the Waste Authority will provide positive financial incentives for local governments to implement FOGO services in the Perth and Peel regions.
(d) The existing $20 million Better Bins program encourages local governments to move towards a three bin system. I have asked the Waste Authority to consult with local governments to develop a program to support the adoption of FOGO services. Part of that process will require developing a program budget for my consideration. Funding details will be included in future business plans.
(e) (i) Under the State’s Better Bins program, $1,181,370 has been allocated to the City of Melville.
(f) The Minister for Environment has no control of local government rates and charges. These are set by local governments. A recent trial of the FOGO system demonstrated significant long-term savings for the City of Melville. The Mayor of the City of Melville has indicated rates could potentially fall over time as a result of a FOGO system.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.