Palaszczuk Government to invest $151M to GROW FOGO in QLD

• The Palaszczuk Government will invest $151 million to help Queensland households better dispose of organic waste
• It’s estimated the investment will deliver more than 1 million lime-green lidded organic bins to households across the South East
• Councils will apply for funding to roll-out Growing the Recovery of Organic Waste (GROW) via Food Organic and Garden Organic (FOGO) waste collection services

The Palaszczuk Government will invest $151 million to help Queensland councils implement food organic and garden organic (FOGO) waste collection services.

The GROW FOGO Program will support Queensland councils to roll out more than 1 million lime-green lidded organics bins to support Queensland’s progress towards its 2030 waste targets.

The funding will also help to deliver kitchen caddies, to help households keep food organics (such as food scraps and leftovers) separate from general waste.

The GROW FOGO program supports the implementation of the SEQ Waste Management Plan - a collaboration between the Palaszczuk Government and Council of Mayors (SEQ) - as well as the outcomes of the Queensland Organics Strategy and Action Plan.

The Council of Mayors (SEQ) SEQ Waste Management Plan identifies that up to 50% of general kerbside waste collected is organic waste. Organic waste is one of the biggest drivers of greenhouse gas emissions from landfill but can be converted into re-usable products like mulch or compost.

Recent statewide data indicate that of the 2 million plus Queensland households that have a general kerbside waste service, 92 per cent have a recycling bin, while just 17 per cent currently have an organics bin.

Enabling organics collection is a vital step in propelling Queensland towards state and national resource recovery targets and will substantially reduce waste going to landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create jobs.

Gold Coast City Council, Ipswich City Council and Brisbane City Council are expected to be the first Councils to benefit from the GROW FOGO Program.

Quotes attributable to Deputy Premier Steven Miles:

“We know that Queenslanders are keen to do more to reduce, reuse and recycle waste and the next important step is the introduction of food organics and garden organics to our resource recovery mix.

“Currently, most garden and food waste ends up in landfill, where it emits methane gas and leaves significant organic resources wasted.

“Organic resources can be processed into high value compost, mulch, and soil products that can be used for a range of things, like tree planting, soil improvement, and revegetation projects.

“This means that important nutrients and resources in food scraps will be reused and put back into the environment as compost, keeping it out of landfill and putting food waste to good use.

“The Palaszczuk Government’s 10-year Queensland Organics Strategy and action plan sets out how we will reduce the generation of organic waste and improve the management of this valuable resource where it has been generated.

“Our targets are to halve the amount of food waste generated by 2030, divert 80 percent of organic material from landfill and achieve a minimum organics recycling rate of 70 percent.

“The CoMSEQ SEQ Waste Management Plan demonstrates what can be achieved through strong regional collaboration, and the GROW FOGO program will support the rollout of new services for more than 3.25 million people in communities stretching from Gold Coast to Noosa.”

Quotes attributable to Council of Mayors (SEQ) Chair and Brisbane Lord Mayor, Cr Adrian Schrinner:

"South East Queensland is the most liveable region in Australia and our waste management plan is all about ensuring it stays that way by doing all we can to reduce our impact on future generations.

“Since the launch of the CoMSEQ SEQ Waste Management Plan, we’ve been working collaboratively to implement long-term solutions for our region’s waste.

“Communities across the region including Brisbane, Ipswich and Lockyer Valley have already shown strong interest in trialling food organic recycling. With the support of the Queensland Government, we will see even more households transitioning to new green-top bins in the coming years.

“This partnership can help drive one of the most significant changes to household waste in a generation, and at the same time, deliver significant regional benefit for communities across the South-East.”

Fast facts:

GROW FOGO SEQ is part of the Palaszczuk Government’s $1.1 billion, 10-year Recycling and Jobs Fund, and will deliver:

• More than 1 million new lime-green top organics collection bins made with recycled plastic.
• Dedicated household kitchen caddies, made with recycled plastic, to help collect food waste.
• Support to councils to deliver public education and communications activities to all households receiving additional waste collection services.
• The support of bin harmonisation activities to standardise bin lid colours using recycled plastic to align with Australian Standards.
• And support to the implementation of the SEQ Waste Management Plan, a collaboration between the Council of Mayors (SEQ) and Queensland Government. The plan aims to divert more than 1 million tonnes of waste from landfill each year by 2030, boosting environment outcomes and creating thousands of local jobs. Led by Council of Mayors (SEQ), the plan is a collaboration with all 12 SEQ Councils.

SEQ councils will need to demonstrate planning, financial and operational commitment to implementing organic kerbside collection for funding to be delivered.

Planning to roll the program out in regional Queensland is underway.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Deputy Premier’s office: Emilia Hutchinson 0437 060 435

Council of Mayors (SEQ): Matt Hendry 0417 603 634