Waste charges are set to increase by 17 per cent for residents in Northern Grampians Shire for the 2026-27 financial year.

Northern Grampians Shire Council had forewarned ratepayers of the increase in kerbside bin collection costs, due to fuel, labour and equipment expenses, and has indicated waste charges will continue to rise over the next three years due to operational costs.

Council will issue rates notices from mid-August, where ratepayers will incur the following 2026-27 annual service charges: kerbside garbage collection services, rising $86 to $371; additional kerbside garbage collection services increasing $5 to $169; and Food Organics and Garden Organics, FOGO, collection services will be $67, an increase of $15, for St Arnaud residents, as it is the only township in the shire to currently have a FOGO service.

Kerbside recycling collection services will decrease $1 to $194.

Mayor Karen Hyslop said the annual waste charges would continue to rise to cover operational cost increases, ongoing uncertainty with the cost of fuel, and the introduction of new government mandated services. 

Under the Circular Economy, Waste Reduction and Recycling, Act 2021, councils must provide access to FOGO and glass recycling services by 2027, creating a four-stream system in place of the current two-stream system. 

“Unfortunately, there are additional charges coming as we look to meet the government’s mandate to introduce a four-stream waste and recycling system,” Cr Hyslop said. 

“Council is very mindful of the increased costs in waste and the knock-on impact on the waste  charges. 

“For example, council recently joined 38 other Victorian councils to advocate for a review of the mandated glass recycling service. Given the container deposit scheme, we think the glass service seems an unnecessary burden on ratepayers. 

“Many councils throughout the state are also having to significantly increase waste charges to comply with the legislation.” 

Cr Hyslop said council’s 2026-27 budget included a $340,000 allocation for the purchase of new bins ahead of the FOGO rollout in 2027. 

“Council has decided to implement a staged increase to soften the impact, rather than introducing a full increase in a single financial year,” she said. 

At the June council meeting, council adopted a 2026 update to the Waste Management Strategy 2020-30, which sets out how council will manage waste and recycling services across the shire until 2030. 

The 2026 revision follows a mid-implementation review of the council’s progress to date and includes changes to service delivery in line with the new state laws and reforms, while weighing up cost and convenience. 

Rather than applying a single model across the shire, council will use a combination of kerbside  services and public drop-off services.  

Cr Hyslop said the introduction of FOGO and glass services would deliver substantial environmental benefits, including reduced landfill, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improved recycling quality, and the reuse of valuable materials.  

“These outcomes remain central to council’s sustainability objectives,” she said.

The entire July 29, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!