Councillor John Walkom calls for organic waste depot instead of third bin

The proposed food and garden kerbside waste collection service was on the agenda at Dubbo City Council's works and services committee meeting on Monday.

Despite Cr Walkom's doubts, a trial for the organic waste been has been recommended, with a final decision to be made at the October Ordinary Meeting of Council next week.

"The things that worries me is that we're giving a service to the city but it's just another slog to the ratepayer," Cr Walkom said.

"$58 a year, a quarter of a cup of coffee a day, isn't much but when you look at the cups of coffees that we've taken off the ratepayers over the years I think we need to look at some alternatives."

In conjunction with grant funding under the Local Government Organics Collection grants program, the estimated initial increase to the Domestic Waste Management Charge for a third bin would be $58. 

"Now [introducing an organics bin] is the ideal scenario in one way because we supply them with the bin, we pay for it, we collect it, we turn it into a commercial product and we sell it. Well, my thinking is maybe it's not the best model, maybe it's just the easiest model," Cr Walkom said.

"My thinking outside the box is to create some organic waste depots in the city as we did with recyclable depots and we encourage our ratepayers to take their organic waste and dispose of it.

"Then we can also go a step further and those who are in the business of mowing lawns or lopping trees where they're collecting organic waste, we can provide the service to them where they can dispose of that for nothing and we could get support that way."

Cr Walkom voted against the recommendation for a trial, however councillors Kevin Parker, Lyn Griffiths, Mathew Dickerson and Allan Smith were in favour of it going ahead.

Councillors Ben Shields, Bill Kelly, Greg Matthews, Greg Mohr, Tina Reynolds and Rod Towney were absent.

"I want to make this very clear, the trial does not equate to automatically accepting this is going to happen," Cr Smith said.

"What it does is feed more information into us to make a better informed decision."

Cr Smith said a similar trial was held 11 years ago and it would give councillors and Dubbo residents a better feel for the service.

Up to 300 houses could be provided with a green lidded 240 lite wheelie bin and a 10 litre bench-top caddy with biodegradable bags to take part in the proposed three month trial.

If the new bins are approved after the trial the next step would be for council to call for tenders for the service.

Getting to that stage will cost about $270,000, the majority of which will be spent on the preparation of a mandatory Environmental Impact Statement.