Lockyer Valley council to become first in state to trial food and organic bin service
About 1000 residents will take part in a trial aimed at reducing landfill and creating organic compost.
Gatton
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With just seven years’ space remaining at Lockyer Valley’s landfill facilities, the brains trust is working on innovative ways to extend the life of the spaces.
A food and organic collection trial will aim to eliminate 80 per cent of household food scraps from the landfill.
The Lockyer Valley Regional Council is the first Queensland council to trial the Food Organics Garden Organics collection system.
About 1000 homes in Laidley and Gatton will participate in the 12-month trial, with hopes it can be extended.
Deputy mayor Jason Cook said households would be given a small bin caddy with a compostable bag for food scraps, tissues and paper towels.
They also get an additional wheelie bin specifically for the organic waste, which is picked up weekly.
The scheme comes at no cost to ratepayers, with the council receiving a $320,000 State Government grant for the trial.
“At the moment, we have got about 12 months left on our current landfill,” he said.
“We will be building cell five after that, which will give us about six years’ capacity. After that six years, we won’t be able to do anymore landfill.”
Cr Cook said organic matter made up about 45 per cent of landfill.
Organic matter will be taken to council’s transfer station and turned into compost to use on council parks and gardens.
If too much organic compost is created, Cr Cook said council would look at “future processes” for distribution.
At present, the Lockyer Valley council pays $75 a tonne for landfill, which is reimbursed by the State Government.
However, that agreement is only budgeted until the end of the 2021-2022 financial year
LVRC’s waste co-ordinator Christine Blanchard said once the government’s waste levy concluded, the council would pay $1 million annually for landfill.
That cost would be passed on to ratepayers at an estimated $60 a year per home.
“It’s hard in a society in which we are encouraged to consume,” Ms Blanchard said.
“Waste management is not free and getting people to understand those bin fairies no longer work for free is challenging.”
The FOGO collection trial is expected to commence in August and will operate for 12 months.
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