Short-term FOGO processor locked in ahead of new kerbside waste service to start on 2 April

Wagga Wagga City Council has successfully appointed a contractor to process Wagga’s food organics and garden organics (FOGO) material, to start from Monday 2 April.

The contract is a short-term arrangement to provide the service while Council negotiates a long-term arrangement with around 10 interested contractors.

At the February Council Meeting, Council resolved to reject all tenders for the acceptance and processing of FOGO material and enter direct negotiations with potential processors.

Council’s General Manager Peter Thompson said the short-term contract means the FOGO material from Wagga Wagga will be processed into high quality compost from the beginning of the new collection contract that starts next week.

“The short-term contract is initially for four weeks and then on a week-to-week basis if necessary while the negotiations to find a long-term FOGO processor are finalised,” he said.

“FOGO material will be going to a composting business for processing from day one so I encourage the community to separate their waste into their FOGO, recycling and general waste bins.

“Both staff and industry representatives have been working together to finalise a short-term contract, which suited both the community needs and industry requirements.

“I would like to thank staff for their efforts and the co-operation we have received from the industry in relation to the issue. Processing contractors have been providing us with information on their contracting requirements on short timeframes. Their efforts in this regard are acknowledged and appreciated”

Under the new kerbside waste service starting 2 April, the green-lid FOGO bin will be collected weekly, while the red-lid general waste bin and yellow-lid recycling bin will be collected on alternating fortnights.

JJ Richards and Sons Pty Ltd will empty all bins each week and recycling will continue to be processed by Kurrajong Recyclers. The FOGO material will be transported by local company Rodney’s Transport to the Carrathool-based processor Worm Tech Pty Ltd.

While a short-term FOGO processor has been secured, Mr Thompson said negotiations to determine the long-term processor of up to seven years plus extension options are progressing.

“We’re working towards the long-term processing contract. We have around 10 companies that have expressed an interest in the contract. We are following a process, which ensures every company is treated fairly and equitably in relation to how they price the contract and offer the service.

“Given we are now negotiating directly with contractors we have asked representatives from the organics management are of the EPA to supervise our opening of the contract submissions to provide an added layer of probity and external scrutiny to the process. The EPA have generously offered their time, for which we are grateful.”

The new kerbside waste service starts on 2 April, with residents using their old bins for the final time this week. Old bins are to be laid down on the nature strip so they can be collected and recycled into new plastic products.

The removal of the 75,000 old bins is scheduled to take up until 20 April and Council will provide regular updates throughout the process.

If residents have any questions about the new kerbside waste service, visit www.yourwaste.com.au or attend one of the community education sessions in person or on Council’s Facebook page. Please see the website for details.

Kerbside waste service from 2 April 2018

• 240L food organics and garden organics bin collected weekly
• 240L recycling bin collected on the alternate fortnight to your general waste bin
• 140L general waste bin collected on the alternate fortnight to your recycling bin
• Kitchen caddy with compostable liners to help separate food waste in your kitchen
• The new service will increase overall fortnightly bin capacity by 140L
• An annual pre-booked household hard waste collection service will also be rolled out as part of the new kerbside waste service