FOGO a no-go for many ratepayers in Rockingham and Kwinana with bin sizes and pick up schedules causing angst

A bin shake-up is sweeping Rockingham and Kwinana but not everyone is happy about the changes designed to send a lot less rubbish to the tip.

Rockingham is shifting from weekly to fortnightly collections of its red general waste bins in June, as part of a new schedule for the district’s three-bin system.

In Kwinana, a new three-bin system that will roll out in late April will offer households a new green-lid bin for organic waste like grass clippings and weeds, but the trade-off is a significantly smaller red bin.

The State Government has for several years been encouraging all metropolitan local governments to take up the FOGO (food organics, garden organics) three-bin system by 2025.

More than 60 per cent of Perth councils have so far agreed to it, but the angst caused by the various systems and collection schedules among the early adopters appears just as strong among Rockingham and Kwinana residents.

Ahead of Rockingham’s change, more than 3700 people have already signed a petition asking for the city to revise the service.

Thomas Soderholm has lived and paid rates in Rockingham for 30 years.

Due to the housing crisis, his household has ballooned to seven people including two-year-old Sophia who is in nappies.

Mr Soderholm says the idea to empty the red bin every two weeks is the “dumbest cost-saving measure” he has come across in local government.

“It’s going to stink. Imagine if you have a crayfish party? In this case, it’s nappies galore. That’s not nice,” he said.

“People are moving back home because of the shortage of houses, so that can help with the housing crisis, but what the city is doing is going to make things really difficult for larger households.”

Mr Soderholm says his family is already heavy recyclers and pay extra for a second recycling bin to meet his family’s needs.

This has left him unsure of how to reduce their use of the red-lidded bin when they are already “doing everything right”.

Mr Soderholm also pointed out that the red-lidded bin was “dramatically” smaller than the greens and recycling bins.

“It gets smelly after a week, the sun comes bearing down, and this is supposed to be a long-term solution, it’s not good,” he said.

“They just need to rethink it, how can this work for all households?

“Yeah, it might be fine for the classic, standard household or one person living in a unit . . . but if it’s seven people in a house, how’s that going to work?”

In March last year, Rockingham councillors discarded a motion calling for a review into FOGO and to modify the policy.

Cr Kelly Middlecoat shared that residents had approached her with their concerns about the red-lidded bin.

“Some of the concerns I wanted to highlight include … nappies being left in the red-lid bins to bake, especially in the summer for up to two weeks, those with elderly or disabled family members who use sanitary products, the potential for increased vermin including maggots, mice and cockroaches, overflowing bins and public dumping of waste, seafood, shells and husks that cannot be disposed of in green-lid bins that raise odour concerns and FIFO workers whose break rosters happen to fall outside of the collection week,” she said.

Cr Leigh Liley bemused many with her suggestion that residents return to using cloth nappies.

“Perhaps we need to harken back to the days when there were big families and they didn’t have automatic washing machines and they used to do everything in a copper,” she said.

In Kwinana, mayor Peter Feasey said the decision to add a specific green waste bin followed strong demand for a third bin.

“The introduction of the GO bin will make waste management smarter, cleaner and more environmentally friendly, as well as promoting sustainable waste management practices in our community,” Mr Feasey said.

“The city considered a range of factors across economic, environmental, social and governance, and undertook extensive community engagement to determine the appetite for a third bin. The GO option demonstrated the best value for money for the Kwinana community at this time.

“An average of 34 per cent of Kwinana’s current general waste bin is filled with compostable garden organics. By separating garden waste, we can turn it into valuable compost, supporting a greener Kwinana.”

But a post on the city’s Facebook page last week about changes to bin collection zones received more than 100 comments, many of which were complaints relating to the size of the red-lidded general waste bin.

“Can’t wait to be taking my full bin bags and putting them in council bins as I won’t be able to fit in my own anymore,” one resident wrote.

“So a tiny bin to replace the garbage one we already fill every week. But we aren’t taking anything out of the rubbish. A big green waste that we may use once a month if that. Really doesn’t seem logical to me,” another added.

Under the State Government’s FOGO rollout, councils which change to the system receive up to $25 per household.

In WA, 27 local governments deliver FOGO services.

While its a voluntary scheme to adopt in WA, a mandate in NSW means all councils will have to collect and transport FOGO bins from households weekly.

Kwinana

Under the new system, properties more than 350sqm will automatically receive a 240L green-lid GO bin, while those under 350sqm can opt-in, at no cost, to receive a GO bin.

Current general waste bins will be changed to 140L red-lidded bins at all residential properties, excluding apartments and multi-unit dwellings with shared bin arrangements which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis after the rollout.

Residents also have the option to upgrade their 240L recycling bin to a 360L bin at no cost.

Rockingham

Residential properties already have access to a:

• 360-litre recycling bin (yellow lid)
• 240-litre green waste bin (lime green lid)
• 140-litre waste bin (red lid).

The waste bin is collected weekly, with the green waste and recycling bins on alternative weeks. Starting in June the waste bin will be collected fortnightly.