Cabonne Council has secured $191,950 in funding from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to introduce a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) kerbside collection service for eligible households, with planning and community engagement now underway ahead of the 2028 rollout. The introduction of FOGO will help divert food and garden waste from landfill and meets the NSW Government's FOGO mandate. A 2025 waste audit found that almost half (45.8 per cent) of the material currently placed in household red lid bins could instead be composted through a FOGO service. Eligible households currently receiving a red lid kerbside waste service will receive a green lid FOGO bin, weekly collections, a kitchen caddy and educational materials to assist with the transition. Cabonne Mayor Cr Kevin Beatty said the funding approval represented an important milestone for the community. "This project is about reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill and making better use of valuable organic materials that can be turned into compost rather than being discarded," Cr Beatty said. "Cabonne is one of the few councils in New South Wales that has not yet introduced a FOGO service, and it's time for us to get on board. This funding allows us to catch up with best-practice waste management and deliver a service that benefits both our residents and the environment. "We understand that introducing a new waste service takes time, which is why community education will be a major focus over the next two years. We want residents to feel informed, prepared and confident when the service begins." As part of the new service, the existing red lid general waste bin will remain the same size but move from a weekly to a fortnightly collection. The new green lid FOGO bin will be collected weekly, allowing food scraps and garden waste to be diverted from landfill. With organic waste making up a significant proportion of household rubbish, residents should find they have more capacity in their red lid bin for general waste. The rollout of FOGO bins is scheduled to commence in January 2028, with full service implementation expected by April 2028. Households that do not currently receive a kerbside waste collection service will not be included in the rollout. Residents are encouraged to visit Have Your Say Cabonne to learn more about the project, register for updates and provide feedback.
