Council rebate for keen composters

Yarra Ranges residents can save money on new composting equipment, thanks to a rebate running until June.

Council is offering a rebate of up to $40 to residents who purchase eligible items for home composting, such as compost bins, turners, worm farms and composting worms or Bokashi Buckets (or a similar food waste fermentation bucket).

Yarra Ranges Mayor, Tony Stevenson, encouraged residents to use the rebate as an opportunity to start home composting.

“Some people might see composting as something a bit too difficult for them, or something that’s going to stink out their house, but that’s simply not the case,” Cr Stevenson said.

“The reality is, composting is easy and manageable when you’ve got the right equipment – such as an airtight Bokashi Bucket - and it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill.

“Food waste makes up nearly half of the contents of our rubbish bins, and composting easily turns that waste into something useful for your garden.”

Cr Stevenson said there were composting options to suit all types of homes in the Yarra Ranges, from suburban houses and units to larger blocks of land.

“Compost bins suit homes with larger backyards, with a mix of food waste and garden clippings which can be mixed with dry materials, like fallen leaves or scrunched newspaper,” he said.

“Worm farms, meanwhile, suit homes that have food waste but don’t have access to dry materials. They need a bit more maintenance to make sure the worms are healthy, but they create a high-nitrogen fertiliser.”

“Bokashi Bins ferment food waste and are meant to be kept in the home, under a bench or in a cupboard – they’re airtight, so they shouldn’t smell, and they reduce food waste while also making a form of fertiliser.

“There are plenty of options out there, so I encourage all of our residents to use this as a chance to look at what could work for them and their home.”

All Yarra Ranges residents are eligible for the compost rebate, provided their items are new and receipts dated between 1 November, 2018 and 30 June, 2019.

Only one rebate is available per household.

For more information, or to apply for a rebate, visit one of Council’s Community Links or yarraranges.vic.gov.au/compostrebate