Green bins are popular, and those with a big garden can now have a second. Photo: ACT Government.
ACT households struggling to manage their garden waste can now receive an additional 240-litre green waste bin from Monday (3 November), but it will incur an additional cost.
They will have to fork out a one-off payment and delivery fee of $99.40, plus an annual service and administration fee of $86.70, indexed annually.
When the green bins were first introduced in 2018, they carried a one-off delivery fee of $50, now $99.40, with no annual administration or service fee.
A government spokesperson stated that the fees covered the actual costs of delivering the service, including contractor charges that rise in line with inflation.
While rates covered the standard rubbish service, an additional waste service came at a cost to the resident under a cost-recovery model.
“This ensures transparency and allows residents to choose additional services if needed,” the spokesperson said.
Annual fee adjustments maintained cost recovery for optional services and were generally aligned with inflation, reflecting the rising costs of contractor and service delivery, including wages, fuel, and operational expenses.
“This means the adjustment is not strictly tied to CPI – it is based on actual cost increases to deliver the service,” the spokesperson said.
Asked if cost could be a barrier to people taking up an extra service, the spokesperson said community feedback indicated that a fee would not be unreasonable in exchange for the convenience of the service, particularly when there was no change to or reduction in the other services provided.
The government had been clear in its election commitment that a fee would be imposed.
“The ACT has a high take-up of green waste services at 78 per cent for single unit dwellings,” the spokesperson said.
“The additional green bin is entirely optional. It is envisaged that it will be particularly beneficial and desirable for those households that produce large quantities of green waste.
“The collection of an initial green waste bin will continue to be free and only incur a one-off fee for the delivery of the bin.”
City and Government Services Minister Tara Cheyne said an additional green bin makes it easier for households to keep their gardens tidy while continuing to divert organic waste from landfill and turn it into high-quality compost.
The green waste provides feedstock for the commercial composting operations of Canberra Sand and Gravel and Corkhills, which also have free drop-off points at Belconnen and Mugga Lane, respectively.
The extra bins will be delivered throughout November, with collections commencing from 1 December 2025. Additional bins will be collected fortnightly alongside existing green waste bins.
Ms Cheyne said an extra green bin would give households a choice and convenience, as well as support Canberrans in doing the right thing when disposing of their green waste.
“We know that green waste entering our drains and waterways can increase the nutrient loads in our lakes, contributing to the proliferation of algal blooms,” she said.
Households participating in the ACT’s food organics and garden organics (FOGO) pilot are not eligible for an additional green waste bin, as their green waste is collected weekly.
The green waste bins were first introduced to Weston Creek and Tuggeranong in 2018 as a pilot program, with Belconnen joining the initiative that same year.
The service was extended to other suburbs in 2019.
Registration information will be available from 3 November at City Service’s recycling and waste page.
Original Article published by Ian Bushnell on Region Canberra.
