Have Your Say – Rollout of Food and Garden Organics Bins

Published on 19 November 2025

The State Government has mandated that all Councils implement the four-bin system by 1 July 2027 under the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021. The intention is to reduce landfill waste and improve resource recovery, and Local Councils are required to implement Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) services in alignment with these objectives.

Hindmarsh Shire is now preparing for implementation of FOGO services with a goal to provide all households with a FOGO bin by 2027, and we want to hear from you on the preferred service model for FOGO and general waste (rubbish) collection.

The options below are developed considering cost, convenience, and environmental impacts. Currently, waste management trucks cover the distance of over 42,000kms annually to collect all bins at different intervals, and this distance will increase with introduction of additional bin.

Costs provided are indicative only and based on the assumption that a local processing facility will be established within Hindmarsh Shire Council. Transporting FOGO to a processing facility outside of Hindmarsh Shire Council might incur approximately additional 10% on waste charges. The estimated costs are in current value, with future values subject to inflation.

The following proposed changes do not include any changes to the current collection frequency for recyclable (yellow lidded bin) and glass (purple lidded bin). The estimated total waste charges below include the collection of recycling and glass bins.

The proposed service options are:

• Option 1: Weekly FOGO and Fortnightly General Waste Collection
  • Description: FOGO (Green Lidded 120L, small) bin collected every week, and general waste (Red Lidded 240L, large) bin collected every two weeks.
  • Estimated Cost: Total waste charges $557 per household per year.
    
    
• Option 2: Fortnightly FOGO and Weekly General Waste Collection
  • Description: Large FOGO bin (Green Lidded 240L) collected every two weeks, and small general waste bin (Red Lidded 120L) collected every week.
  • Estimated Cost: Total waste charges $557 per household per year.
    
    
• Option 3: Fortnightly FOGO and Fortnightly General Waste Collection
  • Description: Large FOGO bin (Green Lidded 240L) collected every two weeks, and large general waste bin (Red Lidded 240L) collected every two weeks.
  • Estimated Cost: Total waste charges $496 per household per year.
    
    
• Option 4: Weekly FOGO and Weekly General Waste Collection
  • Description: Both small FOGO bin (Green Lidded 120L) and small general waste (red lidded 120L) collected every week.
  • Estimated Cost: Total waste charges $617 per household per year.
    
    

HAVE YOUR SAY

We want to know which of the above options you prefer!

Please provide your feedback by completing the survey on our Have Your Say Hindmarsh website: www.haveyoursay.hindmarsh.vic.gov.au/kerbside-collection-of-food-organics-and-garden-organics-fogo. This survey closes 11:59pm on Wednesday 17 December 2025.

If you have any questions about this, you are invited to attend our drop-in sessions to speak with Council officers in-person. These will be held at the following locations:

• Jeparit Library - Monday 1 December 2025, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
• Rainbow Library - Tuesday 2 December 2025, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
• Nhill Council Chambers - Wednesday 3 December 2025, 8:30am - 9:30am
• Dimboola Library - Friday 5 December 2025, 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Council will also be holding an Online Information Session to provide information for those who would like to know more about this. There will be an opportunity to ask questions throughout the presentation.

• Thursday 27 November 2025 at 7:30pm held via Microsoft Teams Webinar.
  Register to attend here!

Monica Revell
Chief Executive Officer