Central Coast Council is set to investigate funding through a recently announced State Government grants program as it continues its plan to introduce a food and organics service (FOGO) to the region.
The $46M Go FOGO grant program is set to support more councils around the State to divert organics from landfill, to be processed into compost and used in large scale agriculture, parks or gardens where it can improve soil health and boost yields.
A Council spokesperson said expansion of the existing garden organics collection to a universal FOGO service for households and planning for a large-scale organics processing solution is a key action which Council has committed to within the Central Coast Resource Management Strategy 2020-2030.
“Council is working with a specialist consultant to advance the investigation and planning for the introduction of a FOGO service,” the spokesperson said.
“This work includes the assessment of suitable processing technologies, identification of end markets for products, processing facility site selection, and procurement models.
“The journey to implement FOGO will take several years to complete and will require a controlled/staged approach to ensure the final service implemented is suitable, efficient and serves the needs of the Community well into the future.
“Council welcomes the recently announced waste grants aimed at supporting NSW Councils to deliver new weekly food organics (FO) or food and garden organics (FOGO) services and will look to maximise available opportunities to apply for grant funding both through this program and others that may become available into the future.”
Minister for Environment, James Griffin, said the Government hopes to see half a million tonnes of organic refuse diverted through the program.
“(This) will revolutionise household waste services and help NSW reach its target of net-zero emissions from organic waste in landfill by 2030,” he said.
“Almost half of the waste in red lid bins in NSW is food and garden waste that can be diverted from landfill and turned into a valuable resource.
“In NSW, more than a third of the waste we send to landfill is food, and Australia ranks fourth highest in the world when it comes to the amount of food we waste.
“When FOGO waste ends up in landfill, it rots and generates damaging greenhouse gasses.”
More than 40 councils already have FOGO services thanks to Government investment of $28M in FOGO programs since 2013, diverting more than 210,000 tonnes of organic waste annually.
Minister for Local Government, Wendy Tuckerman said councils could use the funding in ways that suit the needs of the community, including the purchase of bins and caddies, conduct audits, providing education or implementing trials.
“We know communities in NSW that have FOGO already love it, and these new grants are about supporting councils to roll out this new waste service that helps our environment while creating a valuable agricultural resource,” she said.”
Terry Collins