We're receiving plenty of feedback on our plans to switch how often we empty Bayside general waste bins with food and green waste bins from 1 July 2022.
Many residents are keen for us to make the change sooner - others are concerned and don't want us to change at all.
A couple of common questions keeps cropping up - will I need to pay more for additional waste services? And will you halve my rates now that you are halving my general waste pick ups?
Specialist and tailored waste services
The answer to the first question is no - residents who meet eligibility criteria for specialist waste services will receive these at no charge. We are seeking community feedback currently to help us develop eligibility criteria for these tailored or specialist waste services.
Other residents may need to pay for additional services such as a larger bin if they feel weekly food and green waste and fortnightly general waste may not be sufficient for their waste needs.
Rates reduction?
The simple answer to a rates reduction is also no because:
- Bayside households using the food and green waste service will enjoy the same number of waste collections. As food and green waste bins are generally larger than general waste bins, these residents will actually increase their weekly waste capacity if they put all food waste and recycling in the right bin.
- residents who are not using the food and green waste recycling service are strongly encouraged to sign up now. You might be surprised at how much of your general waste is food (our bin checks reveal it's about 50%). Our community consultation is aimed at understanding any barriers to using the food and green waste service so we can address them.
- landfill waste charges are steadily rising, even as our landfill volumes drop to record lows thanks to food and green waste recycling. Waste charges are separate to your annual rates charges and passed on directly to ratepayers. This year the Victorian Government landfill levy is increasing from $65.90 per tonne in 2020-21 to $105.90 in 2021-22 and $125.90 in 2022-23. We expect similar future increases as landfills are filling up and no new sites are being built.
Bayside currently transports our kerbside waste to Melbourne Regional Landfill in Ravenhall. There is only one remaining landfill in the South-East of Melbourne which has limited capacity and an anticipated five year lifespan remaining. This is why landfill is an expensive service and we need to find ways to minimise the amount of waste we bury in the ground.
Our change to collections frequency is therefore aimed at encouraging more recycling of food waste to further reduce our landfill volumes and safeguard residents from future cost increases. It will not necessarily mean a reduction in waste charges as disposal costs are expected to continue to rise but it will minimise any future increases.
