Canberra’s ambitious plan to implement a territory-wide food and garden waste collection scheme, known as FOGO, has been postponed for a third time. The latest target for the rollout is now 2030, a significant shift from earlier projections. City and Government Services Minister Tara Cheyne confirmed the revised timeline, citing the complexity of the project and market capacity for large-scale capital works as primary reasons for the repeated delays.
Scheme Faces Further Setbacks
The Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection initiative, designed to divert organic waste from landfills and transform it into compost, has encountered a series of postponements. Initially slated for implementation in 2023, the scheme’s expansion was first deferred to 2026. This adjustment was partly influenced by the need to replace Canberra’s recycling center following a fire. Subsequently, in 2025, the planned territory-wide rollout was pushed back further to 2028. The most recent announcement now places the full implementation by 2030.
During a budget estimates hearing, Minister Cheyne described the FOGO project as a “complex city-shaping project.” She elaborated on the challenges, noting the limited market capacity for undertaking capital projects of this magnitude. “There is also only so much capacity in the market when it comes to capital projects, and capital projects of this size,” Ms. Cheyne stated.
Criticism and Calls for Action
The repeated delays have drawn sharp criticism from the ACT Greens. Leader Jo Clay expressed dismay, asserting that the postponements indicate a lack of priority for climate action within the government. “This is not climate action; this shows that climate is just not a priority for this government,” Ms. Clay commented. She also highlighted the disappointment of many Canberrans who are eager to participate in food waste recycling.
Ms. Clay questioned the justifications for the delays, emphasizing that FOGO technology is well-established and not particularly complex. “This is not difficult technology. This is very well established,” she said. “And actually, the ACT now is a decade, and two decades, behind a lot of other regions.” She further noted that constituents frequently inquire about the FOGO scheme’s availability, underscoring public demand for the service.
“I actually don’t mind how we deliver FOGO services, but we cannot simply put it off for seven years, 10 years, 20 years if we are going to say that we take climate change seriously,” Ms. Clay urged, linking the urgency of the FOGO rollout to the broader climate crisis.
Facility Development Underway
A critical component of the FOGO scheme’s successful implementation is the construction of a dedicated processing facility. This facility will be essential for handling an estimated 50,000 tonnes of organic waste annually. Minister Cheyne indicated that the procurement process for this facility is progressing through a two-stage approach. The request for proposals is anticipated to be released shortly, with the aim of shortlisting three contractors qualified to build the new facility.
While the territory-wide rollout faces delays, Ms. Cheyne pointed out that FOGO services are not entirely new to Canberra. The ACT was among the first Australian jurisdictions to introduce such a program. A pilot FOGO scheme has been operational since 2021, serving over 6,000 households across areas including Belconnen, Cook, Macquarie, and select apartment complexes in Tuggeranong. Feedback from this pilot program has been largely positive, according to the Minister.
“Attitudes have always been pretty positive about FOGO, but they have also improved over time,” Ms. Cheyne observed. She added that the pilot had provided valuable insights, particularly in addressing concerns raised by some households regarding the fortnightly red bin collection. “I largely believe those concerns, where they have been raised, have been addressed — and that will inform our overall rollout.”
The Environmental Imperative of FOGO
The urgency for implementing FOGO collection is underscored by rising waste emissions in the ACT. Ms. Clay reported a 27% increase in waste emissions over the past year. She emphasized the significant environmental impact of food waste in landfills, noting that it continues to generate greenhouse gases for approximately 20 years after disposal. “This food that we send to landfill in 2030 will still be wrecking our climate in 2050,” she warned.
The ACT Greens plan to continue advocating for the accelerated rollout of the FOGO scheme. Ms. Clay reiterated the connection between local waste management and the global climate crisis. “Our waste emissions are going up; climate change is a problem,” she stated. “We have a climate crisis and people know that they want to solve this, and this is a problem that they can solve in their kitchens. People really want this solution.”
National Context and Future Outlook
The federal government’s National Waste Policy Action Plan sets a target for all Australian households to have access to FOGO collections by 2030. As of September 2025, approximately 38% of Australians had access to such services, indicating a national push towards organic waste diversion. Canberra’s extended timeline places its full implementation at the same benchmark year as the national goal, though significantly later than initially planned.
The ongoing procurement process for the new processing facility is a crucial next step. Once a contractor is secured and construction begins, it will pave the way for the broader FOGO collection rollout. The government’s commitment to learning from the existing pilot program aims to ensure a smoother and more responsive implementation across the territory once the facility is operational.
Conclusion
The repeated delays to Canberra’s FOGO collection scheme highlight the significant logistical and market challenges associated with large-scale infrastructure projects. While the government aims for a 2030 completion, critics argue for greater urgency, emphasizing the environmental benefits and public demand for food waste recycling. The successful development of the new processing facility will be key to realizing the FOGO vision and contributing to the ACT’s waste reduction and climate action goals.
