Minister Barr: Green bins coming to Canberra
- Written by ACT Government
Released 28/05/2016
Canberra households will be able to opt-in to a green bin service to dispose of their garden waste.
The ACT Government will roll out green bins for garden waste right across Canberra. The city-wide roll out will follow a pilot program in Weston Creek and Kambah which is funded in the 2016/17 ACT Budget.
Weston Creek and Kambah were chosen to give the government a good sample size of residents in an established region of Canberra. These are mature suburbs with established gardens and are broadly representative of the housing profile of the city.
The pilot will be evaluated after 12 months to test the program before the next stage of the rollout.
Further stages of the rollout will be funded in future budgets and based on data from the pilot program.
Access to a garden waste bin will save families time and money. It’s an important new service for ratepayers and will help to divert some of the 5,000 tonnes of garden waste that is currently going to landfill each year.
A pilot will have pick-ups to commence in the first quarter of 2017.
The best way to deliver a major new recycling program is through a phased rollout. We’re making sure we get it right by conducting a regional pilot before a wider rollout. This is what occurred when recycling bins were introduced to Canberra in the 1990s.
The Government needs an understanding of the level of infrastructure required for a successful, city wide rollout of green bins. The pilot will determine how many waste trucks will be required for a city wide rollout, the impact that a city wide rollout may have on existing waste facilities and the required regularities of pickups.
We want this to work, and the only way to do this is through a staged approach.
Households will be able to opt-in to the service for a one-off, cost-recovery deposit of around $50, with bins collected every fortnight. Pensioners and concession card holders will receive their bin without providing a deposit.
Some households and apartment residents won’t want another bin – so the program will operate on an opt-in basis.
The cost of the pilot and rollout across the two regions will be $1.715 million over two financial years, to be funded in the 2016/17 ACT Budget.
Minister for Transport and Municipal Services Meegan Fitzharris, who has championed this policy since joining the ACT Legislative Assembly, said:
“This is a choice ACT households want, and since becoming Minister for Transport and Municipal Service, I’ve been listening to what services the community is looking for from the ACT Government.
“I’m proud that we will soon be able to offer every household that wants it a great scheme that helps Canberra families manage their garden waste in a responsible, cost-effective way.
“Garden waste collected from the kerb will be processed at existing facilities and we will tender for this service so the pilot program in Weston Creek and Kambah can be up and running quickly in 2017.
“The mulch prepared from waste will be available through commercial providers, and the opt-in cost recovery deposit for the bin will ensure that only households who want a bin, will get one.
“Last year the ACT Budget delivered more mowing, cleaning and maintenance for our suburbs’ parks, footpaths and public spaces, and this year’s Budget will build on that record. Green bins will be another important element of our city services package in this year’s Budget aimed at renewing and investing in our suburbs and delivering essential services,” said Minister Fitzharris.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
