Call for a FOGO review – City of Ballarat council meeting briefs

A NOTICE of motion introduced by Cr Tess Morgan was carried at last week’s ordinary council meeting calling for the City of Ballarat to undertake a review of FOGO collection during its first 12 months.

The notice also calls to include community feedback and to receive a report of the findings when one year of implementation is reached.

Fortnightly kerbside FOGO, or food and garden organics, collection was introduced on Monday 3 November alongside monthly kerbside glass collection.

Early results show that the volume of waste going into landfill hasn’t changed, despite the introduction of the new bins.

Cr Morgan said it is critical to investigate costs, feedback from the community, and the potential for behaviour change.

“To be blunt, lots of councils have done this already and the councils that encourage FOGO by collecting FOGO weekly see a big change in behaviour,” Cr Morgan said.

“The councils that encourage rubbish by collecting rubbish weekly, and we’re one of those, don’t see much change at all.

“There’s a real risk we don’t change anything and keep paying for mountains of rubbish, and that’s where listening to the community comes in.”

Cr Samantha McIntosh voted in support of the notice of motion but said it’s important to remember the new bins were introduced very recently.

“I have enormous concern that we spend a heap of time in the council chamber that is not necessary,” she said.

“There’s every opportunity when we’ve only been in this space for three weeks, for us to listen and review and respond.

“It’s early in the piece.”

 

Arts recommendations get go ahead

Councillors unanimously endorsed the recommendations of a report on Ballarat’s creative community which calls for an arts and culture infrastructure report, the development of terms of reference for an arts and cultural advisory committee, and the investigation of creative land trusts models.

The report was created following a notice of motion from Cr Jay Morrison at the July 2025 council meeting.

“This report represents an exciting and important step forward for our city,” he said.

“It’s not just about a one off event or program, it’s about building a solid framework that supports and empowers local artists, makers and creative businesses to thrive.”

 

Nature strip guidelines adopted

Nature strip garden guidelines for the municipality were adopted, based on similar guidelines present in the City of Greater Geelong.

The guideline provides a checklist for residents to help them to develop a safe and thriving nature strip.

Cr Ben Taylor said it was critical to have these guidelines for the community to provide a reminder of the responsibilities of a nature strip garden.

“This is serious… it may seem like a great idea but there is also challenges,” he said.

“We’ve got to be aware of the impression we give the community that it’s okay, it’s okay to do something with your nature strip tomorrow.

“Actually, it may not be okay, there’s requirements we need to follow, there are risks involved.”

 

Her Maj funds decision deferred

The decision of where to transfer donations currently held by the City of Ballarat for Her Majesty’s Theatre will be deferred until February 2026.

The City of Ballarat currently holds more than $140,000 of donations but due to changes to regulations by the Australian Taxation Office, they must be transferred to a charity or entity that can accept tax deductable gifts.

The officer’s recommendation was to transfer the funds to the Ballarat Foundation, however Cr Morrison introduced the alternative motion which called for the deferral of the transfer and an expression of interest process for local organisations.

“We have a responsibility to ensure not only are these funds used for the original purpose, which is supporting the Ballarat arts community, but also that this process is done in a way that is open, considered and transparent.”

A public submission was made by Ballarat Arts Foundation board member Michael Whitehead calling for the municipality to consider other organisations.

 

Reconciliation Action Plan adopted

The Reconciliation Action Plan 2025 to 2027 was adopted alongside the Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country guidelines 2026.

The Reconciliation Action Plan provides background about the City of Ballarat’s reconciliation journey, is based on the five pillars of relationships, respect, opportunities, truth telling, and governance, and includes 67 deliverables.

The plan was publicly exhibited in September and October 2025 and most of the feedback was around the plan’s implementation and therefore didn’t require updates to the actions.

“It is fair and reasonable and just that we do enter into the RAP understanding that First Nations people are significantly disadvantaged across our community,” Cr Des Hudson said.

“I think the small bit we can do as a Local Government Area with other partners is significant.”

 

Animal Management Plan approved

The reviewed Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026 to 2029 was adopted which outlines the municipality’s services, policies and programs the relate to managing dog and cat matters.

It includes information on responsible pet ownership, aims to ensure safety regarding nuisance animals, and provides an overview of the City of Ballarat’s animal management operations.

Consultation was conducted earlier this year on the MySay page, at pop-up sessions and with key stakeholders.

 

Tender panel appointed

A panel of contractors have been appointed for services for materials, plant and traffic management for the next three years.

The aim of the panel is to reduce the procurement process for each purchase by providing access to goods and services under agreed terms.

 

Airport road naming changed

Following advice from Geographical Names Victoria, a section of road at Ballarat Airport which was originally to be named Wackett Drive, will become a part of the existing Discovery Road.

The change aims to provide a more cohesive road layout.