Push for green bins for all Brisbane ratepayers

Green waste recycling bins should be expanded to all ratepayers in this major southeast Queensland city, Labor says.

Green bins should be offered to all Brisbane ratepayers who ask for them, with Labor claiming council just needs to ask the state government for funding.

Labor Leader Jared Cassidy said the City of Moreton had applied for, and received, funding for green bins to all ratepayers and as a result that scheme was now in place.

He claimed only about 30 per cent of Brisbane households did not currently have a green bin, however the LNP administration said that calculation included unit owners who had no need of a green bin.

The number of those without a bin who might reasonably use one was closer to 50 per cent.

It also pointed out that householders who wanted a green bin could get one now for less than $1 a week.

Mr Cassidy called on Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s administration to announce a citywide green bin program at the upcoming Budget.

He said the amount of organic waste going into landfill was the single biggest contributor to the city’s carbon footprint and action was needed now.

Labor’s lord mayoral candidate in the 2024 local government elections, Tracy Price, pushed a household food waste disposal policy which was attacked by the LNP as uncosted and expensive.

However Mr Cassidy said green waste bins were the “recycling of the 21st century and we need to keep pace’’.

“As Queensland’s largest council, Brisbane should be leading the state on green waste services, but instead the Olympic city is falling behind,’’ he said.

“Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and the LNP council must do more to keep green waste out of

landfill.

Labor wants green bins offered to all ratepayers.

“Without more action we will see the rates bills of every single ratepayer climb to

record levels.

“The Lord Mayor should be advocating for our city and applying for sufficient funding from the state government to make the green bin program a citywide initiative.

“The upcoming budget is an opportunity for Adrian Schrinner to show Brisbane where his

priorities lie.’’

Labor was expected to bring a motion on the issue at Tuesday afternoon’s weekly council meeting.

The State Government has approved $4.2m in grants for green waste recycling to Brisbane City Council, compared with the much smaller City of Moreton which had $11.7m in approved grants.

However, a BCC spokeswoman said Brisbane introduced green bins in 2010 so current grants would be expected to be smaller.

Green bins stockpiled at Nudgee depot. Image: Nearmap

Civic Cabinet Chair for City Standards, Councillor Sarah Hutton, said Mr Cassidy and Labor wanted to force residents to separate their food waste.

“His reckless (election promise) scheme would have resulted in red-top bin collections being cut from weekly to fortnightly, just like they have in many other local government areas who have rushed to adopt these food organics schemes,’’ she said.

“His policy would have also created a putrid pile of rotting food waste because no industry currently exists to process this scale of waste.

“We have already announced plans to access state funding to speed up this (grren bin) roll out.’’

In 2023, the former State Labor Government committed $151 million to help southeast Queensland councils implement or expand kerbside food organics and garden organics collection services.

Moreton Bay rolled out a citywide garden organics program last year.