The City of Ballarat is set to increase its waste and recycling services in the new financial year at a total cost of less than $2 per day to ratepayers.
Outlined in the newly adopted 2025/26 Council Budget, Council will deliver 14 waste and recycling services across the municipality which includes kerbside collections, management of transfer stations and landfill, transfer station vouchers, street cleaning and eWaste and hazardous materials disposal.
To deliver these services, the new annual waste charges equate to $1.66 per day per household, a 6.9 per cent increase from last year.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said that when it comes to waste services, Council is simply being reimbursed.
"Waste management is the only service that is 100 percent cost recovery, meaning we only charge ratepayers what it costs us to deliver the service," she said.
From November, the City of Ballarat will implement Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) and glass kerbside collection services as part of the Victorian Government's Service Standards.
In the development of the waste charges, Council officers took into consideration the costs associated with the implementation of expanded services.
"The 2025/26 Budget focuses on delivering all our services in the most cost-effective way," Cr Hargreaves said.
"In the coming financial year, the cost of providing waste management services will total $32 million, and we appreciate that this is a significant expense. That's why we continue to look for ways to reduce our waste, divert it from landfill and reuse where we can."
A proportion of the waste charge is the State Government's Landfill Levy - a separate charge by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for each tonne of rubbish disposed of at landfills. In the 2025/26 financial year, this charge will increase by 26 per cent.
"This is a charge that Council is legislated to collect on behalf of the State Government. It does not contribute to the delivery of local services," Cr Hargreaves said.
To assist residents to understand the costs associated with waste services and provide transparency, charges will be listed as individual line items on the 2025/26 rates notices, with the State Government landfill charge also identified on the notice.
The City of Ballarat's FOGO and glass recycling kerbside collections will begin from Monday, 3 November 2025. All residents will soon receive information in the mail about the waste collection changes. Information will continue to be provided to the community in the lead up to the introduction of the FOGO and glass services.
