By Cam Lucadou-Wells
In good news for green thumbs, Greater Dandenong Council will introduce a home-composting rebate scheme from July.
Resident ratepayers will be able to claim 30 per cent of the cost of a compost bin, compost tumbler, worm farm or a kitchen compost bin (bokashi).
The scheme will limit each household to one subsidy per year – the same as neighbouring Monash and Casey councils.
Total rebates are capped at 200 compost bins, 50 tumblers, 100 worm farms and 50 bokashi.
The scheme complements the council’s FOGO (food waste and garden organics) collection service starting in April.
Cr Rhonda Garad, who proposed the scheme, said home composting turned food and garden clippings to healthy garden soil rather than landfill and harmful methane gas.
“Covid has shown us all how important our environment is to our health and happiness, and this scheme will improve the skills of Dandenong’s gardeners to create beautiful gardens.”
Cr Garad said the rebate and its FOGO green-lid food bins showed the council was “seriously delivering on its sustainability strategy”.
“(The council) is showing welcome leadership in incentivising the community to work together to create a healthier, cleaner environment.”
Greater Dandenong will also run workshops on composting and creating a community of composters and gardeners to share knowledge.
A council report stated the compost rebate will divert from kerbside collection, and reduce waste and recycling processing costs.
The scheme’s annual cost of about $20,000 could also be recovered with a minimal rise in the residential garbage levy, the report stated.
Food makes up an estimated 35 per cent of household waste, according to the state’s waste and resource recovery infrastructure plan.
