Leeton Shire Council is proud to announce it has won a 2025 Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Environment Award in the category Behaviour Change in Waste (Division A Winner and Overall Winner), recognising the community-wide success of Leeton Shire's Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service.
Titled From the Ground Up: How Leeton came together for a cleaner, greener FOGO, the winning project highlights how Leeton Shire achieved exceptional results from the very first week of service, with a 60 per cent diversion of organic waste from landfill and an exceptionally low 0.3 per cent contamination rate, well below the NSW average.
The kerbside FOGO service was introduced in July 2024, ahead of the NSW Government's 2030 deadline, after local audits showed nearly half of household rubbish could be composted. More than 4,300 green-lidded bins were delivered to homes across the Shire, supported by a strong education and engagement campaign shaped by community feedback.
General Manager Jackie Kruger said the award is a credit to both staff, councillors and residents.
"This recognition reflects an enormous team effort. I want to congratulate Executive Manager Utilities, Environment and Emergency Services Luke Tedesco, Assistant Manager Utility Operations Guy Retallick, and all staff involved for their leadership, planning and hands-on community education. Our councillors are also to be commended for their support and courage to hit the go button well ahead of the government mandated FOGO deadline. All of these aspects made this rollout such a success," Ms Kruger said.
"Leeton Shire has shown that when we invest in clear communication, practical support and genuine collaboration, our community delivers outstanding outcomes."
The program was supported by $228,000 in NSW EPA funding and delivered at a minimal cost impact to households, around $15 per year, thanks to careful planning and alignment with a new kerbside collection contract.
Mayor Cr George Weston thanked residents for embracing the new service and taking pride in doing it right.
"This award belongs to our community. Residents across Leeton, Yanco, Whitton and every township have made a real effort to use the green bin correctly," Cr Weston said.
"Keeping contamination at just 0.3 per cent is a strong result. It means your food and garden scraps are being turned into quality compost instead of ending up in landfill, with composting facility WormTech playing an important role in that process."
The environmental benefits are already significant. In the first year, the rollout prevented about 1,505 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, helping Leeton Shire cut methane-producing waste going to landfill and supporting the sustainability goals in Council's Community Strategic Plan.
Council also acknowledged the value of regional partnerships in the success, including collaboration through the Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation (RAMJO) and shared behaviour change resources with the Halve Waste Program.
Council will continue ongoing education, audits and community support to maintain these strong results and build an even cleaner, greener Leeton Shire.
