Town of East Fremantle council reveals new fees for bigger bins to make waste bills fairer for ratepayers
Larger bins will soon mean greater costs for East Fremantle residents in a bid to make the town’s waste services fairer, after a review found those using standard bins were subsidizing the costs of their rates.
Residents using standard 240-litre public bins, 250-litre recycling bins and 240-litre FOGO bins will not face charge increases.
However, from July 1, those who order an additional standard 140-litre general waste bin will now pay $415 a year for it.
An additional standard 240-litre recycling bin costs $355 per year.
Upgrading to a larger 240-litre general waste bin will cost $310 per year, while the council will charge $310 for an upgrade to a 360-litre recycling bin.
Those wishing to apply for an upgrade to a standard bin size service will pay a one-time assessment fee of $230 per application to cover the city’s administrative costs associated with evaluating and approving applications.
The new charges will cover bin supply, delivery and installation, as well as ongoing collection, transport, processing and waste disposal.
The council says larger and additional bins cost more to maintain each year, which is funded by those using standard bins.
Residents with medical conditions that cause unavoidable excess waste will not be required to pay fees.
Those who want to revert to their standard size general waste recycling bin or give up their additional bins can do so free of charge by contacting the council by June 17.
A review of the town’s waste charges revealed that all costs were covered by the town’s wider waste budget; This means all taxpayers pay for this, even if they use standard bins.
Currently, 678 properties are using larger bins, while a further 107 are receiving additional waste, FOGO or recycling bin services.
If the town continues to shoulder the financial burden of bin upgrades, it will cost taxpayers between $250,000 and $1 million each year.
Mayor Tony Natale said imposing a fee on these property owners would make waste collection costs fairer and more financially sustainable for the town.
“Households choosing to switch to a larger general waste or recycling bin will now contribute to the additional cost of providing these services, rather than the cost shared by all taxpayers,” he said.
“This ensures our waste services remain financially sustainable while providing residents flexibility for extra capacity in a user-pays model.”
City council members voted unanimously to approve the proposed fee changes at their April 22 meeting.
The council will write to residents who currently have a larger or additional bin to inform them of the revised fee schedule.
Those who want to replace larger garbage bins with standard size can do so free of charge by notifying the municipality by Wednesday, June 17.
This will not affect the additional FOGO bin charge for residents who already use this service, but people will no longer be able to apply for an additional FOGO bin from July 1.
The 2026/27 fee and charge schedule will be presented to the council on 21 May and final fees will be approved through the budget process.
