Residents receiving rates notices may be surprised to learn that City of Port Phillip (COPP) have introduced a separate charge for waste collection.  COPP have introduced a two tired waste collection charge effective from 1st July 2022. All properties have been charged $176.20 for waste collection and an additional waste collection charge of $88.10 has been levied on properties eligible for kerbside Food Organic and Garden Organic (FOGO) collection which include houses, terraces, and town houses.  

COPP have stated the new waste is being introduced to help pay for the introduction of new FOGO and glass recycling streams will be introduced from January 2023.  

Kerbside FOGO collection will be offered to about 18,000 properties, mostly terraces, freestanding houses and town houses, while residents living in multistorey apartments ( approximately 50,000 properties) will be required to walk up to 300m to use communal FOGO bins. 

Campbell Spence asked the following question at the Council meeting on 7 September “why are residents required to pay an $88.10 surcharge for a service that is not expected to be delivered until after January 2023? How can the COPP justify charging a full year's fee for a service that it is planning to deliver for 6 months or less? Can the CEO provide the dates that residents will receive the new kerbside FOGO bins and when will kerbside FOGO collections commence?

A Council Officer advised the delivery of kerbside FOGO bins and collection services are on track to commence in January 2023. The Officer also said that cost of delivering kerbside FOGO collection exceeds $88.10 and residents are not being over charged. However, the question remains how it costs $88.10 for 6 months when this is similar to what other councils charge for a full year. Does this mean that the FOGO charge will double for the first full FOGO bin service year, 2023-24?

Source: COPP press release