Gunnedah councillor to attend waste conference as government mandates food waste recycling

Councillor Ann Luke has been endorsed as the Gunnedah Shire Council’s delegate to attend the 2025 Waste Conference held in Coffs Harbour.

Attendees will hear from world-leading waste management professionals on the latest developments in the industry during the three-day conference.

They will also have the opportunity to network with waste experts and visit waste management exhibits. Several sessions are specifically aimed at regional councils.

The Waste Conference offers updates on waste education programs, indigenous waste management projects and social enterprise initiatives and innovation in the waste sector. In addition, delegates will be updated on waste strategies and the circular economy, waste collections and new waste management technologies.

Cr Luke’s planned attendance comes as the NSW government last week passed legislation to become the first state to implement a statewide mandate for Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) recycling, to divert food waste from landfill into compost.

The legislation mandates FOGO collection services for households by July 2030, and for businesses and institutions in stages from July 2026.

FOGO bins will be rolled out at premises such as supermarkets, pubs, cafes, universities, schools, hotels and hospitals. Large supermarkets will also be required to report on the amounts and types of surplus food donated to charities like OzHarvest, Second Bite and Foodbank.

The government said FOGO takes up to a third of household red bin capacity.

A new ‘deposition centre’ was recently installed at Gunnedah Waste Management Facility. The deposition centre incorporates separate waste bins, allowing people to drop off their waste away from the main landfill site. It also allows enhanced waste screening making it easier for council to ensure recyclables are separated and no hazardous waste is mixed in with household waste.

The 2025 Waste Conference will be held from May 13-15.