Goulburn Mulwaree Council buys FOGO compost screening equipment

Locals have not only embraced dumping food scraps in green bins but have chipped in with green waste.

Councillors heard at their meeting on Tuesday that the waste management centre had received more material than expected. An average 200 tonnes was arriving each month, also thanks to "an exceptional growth season," utilities director Marina Hollands said.

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Such is the volume that the council is buying, rather than continuing to hire, a screening machine to create a high quality compost.

The equipment currently costs $13,000 to $15,000 a month to hire and screen existing volumes.

"Not only is this costly, but relying on hire (equipment) can create operational issues as a screening machine is not always available when required," Mrs Hollands said.

On present volumes, using the equipment for 25 hours a week would cost about $170,000.

Instead, councillors agreed to purchase one from Mount Kuringai-based GCM Enviro for $379,500. This followed a tender process and a February business case.

Mrs Hollands said based on hire rates the purchase price would be recovered in two and a half years.

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A total $65,000 remaining from a $392,063 state government grant for the composting initiative would go towards the cost, with the council paying the rest.

Deputy Mayor Peter Walker suggested the machine be hired out to other councils to help pay the bill. Mrs Hollands said this would be investigated, though the equipment was "difficult to move."

The material is sold to the community for $20 a trailer load or $90 per tonne.

In July, the council sold 40 tonnes of the compost, a 100 per cent increase on June. In that month, the centre received 70 tonnes of the organic waste through domestic collection or drop-offs, a report stated.

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Another 40 tonnes came from the Tribe Brewery at South Goulburn, and an equal amount from a Canberra collection company.

"For each tonne of FOGO (food organics) processed, approximately 300kg of waste is produced," the report stated.

"Compost sales are increasing steadily through word of mouth and local promotions, with a number of return customers and new ones stating they had received positive feedback from friends and family that had used the product."

Mrs Hollands said the compost was affordably priced to encourage residents to "close the loop" and ensure food waste was returned to the soil.

A trial on Belmore Park garden beds had produced "excellent results," improving soil tests and flower growth.

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Greens councillor, Leah Ferrara said the council was doing a "great job" in this area.

"I hope other councils follow suit," she said.

She was referring to general manager Warwick Bennett's previous comments that very few Sydney councils were recycling organic waste.

The state government's 20-year Waste Strategy released in June made FOGO collections mandatory in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.

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