Prolific gardener Robyn Meehan, 67, says a FOGO bin will make her life much easier. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Are you a Griffith resident sick of wondering what to do with all your lawn clippings, leaves and weeds?
The good news is that town households are finally set to each get a special kerbside bin for garden and food waste, a luxury already enjoyed by those in neighbouring towns such as Wagga, Leeton and Darlington Point.
Griffith City Council has confirmed plans to introduce a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) collection service, with rollout scheduled for 1 July 2027.
The announcement comes after NSW Parliament passed legislation to mandate FOGO collection services for households by July 2030, and for businesses and institutions in stages from July 2026.
The end of Griffith FOGO FOMO has excited prolific gardener Robyn Meehan, who plants flowers and weeds every weekend.
“I usually just have to do a little bit each week to ensure it all fits into the general waste bin, so this would be wonderful,” she said.
You can put all food organics including bread, fruit and vegetables, dairy, raw and cooked meat, bones, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea leaves and garden organics in FOGO bins, which are collected once a week in Wagga and Leeton.
Griffith will be on par with Wagga once green-lid FOGO bins arrive. Photo: Wagga City Council.
Griffith councillors endorsed the next phase of planning in September, which will see work commence on three key components required for the successful introduction of FOGO:
- Developing a waste collection policy
- Delivering a comprehensive community education campaign
- Determining the collection service model.
“FOGO represents a major step forward in reducing landfill and creating a more sustainable future for Griffith,” the council said in a statement.
“The service will provide residents with a dedicated bin for food and garden waste, diverting organics from landfill and transforming them into valuable compost.
“Council has engaged Halve Waste to lead the education component of the rollout.
“Halve Waste has extensive experience in this area, having supported successful FOGO implementations in Leeton and Murray shires. Partnering with Halve Waste ensures consistent regional messaging and maximises the benefits of Griffith’s existing participation in the program.”
Halve Waste is a regional local government initiative aimed at reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfill.
Griffith Mayor Doug Curran said education would be key to the program’s success.
“FOGO is an important sustainable environmental initiative, but is a big change for our community, and the education campaign will help households understand what goes in each bin and why it matters,” Mayor Curran said.
“By working with Halve Waste, we can build on a proven model and support residents to make the transition as smooth as possible.”
Planning also includes exploring funding opportunities through the NSW Government’s FOGO grants program, which could contribute up to $500,000 towards Griffith’s rollout.
With the groundwork underway, Griffith Council said it would continue to engage with the community in the lead-up to the 2027 service start.
