🟠 Bin burdens and October gig guide
Also including: How Monash Council became carbon neutral over five years
Matthew Sims
October 03, 2025
⏱️ The 81st edition of our newsletter is a seven-minute read.
Hi there 👋
Matthew Sims here, your reporter at the Eastern Melburnian.
As of writing this newsletter, our subscriber count just ticked over 13,030 - a big hello to all our new readers.
🗓️ I don’t know about you, but it is mind-boggling to me that we only have three months left in the year. Halloween is still weeks away, but you’ll already see Christmas decorations in retail shops, alongside the creepy costumes and plastic pumpkins. I only hope Christmas carols aren’t played until December 1 - at the earliest.
With many in Melbourne still in a post-Grand Final stupor, this week has been a little quieter than most. However, I still hit the ground on a few key stories - this time focusing on how Monash Council is tracking.
🗑️ Firstly, I took a look at the council’s proposal for a separate $394 Waste Service Charge. For those ratepayers in all other LGAs across the state, an extra charge for the council to dispose of their waste is nothing new. However, Monash Council has for years held off introducing the charge in favour of using general revenue to cover the ever-growing costs of getting rid of rubbish.
Monash’s waste removal costs for this financial year are projected to be $31.6 million and the proposed introduction of glass bins would see this figure increase.
On Tuesday, councillors approved the move with little to no debate.
🌎 Another item within Tuesday’s council agenda jumped out at me, with Monash Council making the final push to become carbon neutral via a $45,000 investment in carbon offsets. Our story explains the methods council employed over recent years to reach the target.
🤔 If you have any thoughts, opinions or ideas about what we should do next, just reply to this email and I’ll be on the other end. Or reach out to me directly via [email protected]. With your help, tips, feedback and involvement we can continue to grow and improve.
🗞️ Here’s what the Eastern Melburnian has been up to
Monash Council’s Waste Service Charge will see most residents’ yearly bills increase by $329 - from the current levy of $65 to $394.
WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️
FRIDAY 03/10/25 TO SUNDAY 05/10/25, SATURDAY 11/10/25 & SUNDAY 12/10/25, 10AM-2.30PM | Dinosroar Experience
EVERY DAY TO MONDAY 13/10/25, 10AM-5PM | Tesselaar Tulip Festival
FRIDAY 03/10/25 TO SUNDAY 05/10/25, 10AM-5PM | Blossom Festival @ Cherry Hill Orchards, Wandin East
FRIDAY 03/10/25 & SATURDAY 04/10/25, 10AM-3PM | Doncaster Templestowe Artists' Society’s spring exhibition
FRIDAY 03/10/25, 7.30-8.30PM | Simon Taylor - So Good
FRIDAY 03/10/25, 6-7PM | Live at the Library - Jamilah Lee & Elowyn
SATURDAY 04/10/25, 2-4.15PM | Waltzing Through Vienna
📰 THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES
Monash Council has achieved carbon neutral status, with councillors voting on Tuesday to spend $45,000 on carbon offset credits, which will get it over the line.
Monash Council endorsed the pursuit of net zero in August 2020.
In 2018/19, it produced 20,503 tonnes of carbon emissions. It used this figure as its baseline, and has since managed to lower the emissions to net zero.
It was originally thought it may take until 2030 - or even 2040 - to reach the target, however it has been achieved by using renewable electricity, employing sustainable design in projects, decreasing gas use, using recycled materials and transitioning its fleet to electric vehicles.
Purchasing carbon offset credits was also part of the plan, as some emission sources were unavoidable, with more work needed to move away from natural gas usage.
A project can earn a carbon offset credit – one for every tonne of carbon dioxide its activities reduce – when it stores, reduces or avoids greenhouse gas emissions, such as planting trees or not removing vegetation.
These credits can then be sold to other organisations, such as councils, to allow them to “offset” their own emissions.
On Tuesday, councillors passed a motion to allocate $45,000 to buy the 8,678 carbon offsets required to get it to net zero.
Deputy mayor Brian Little said the offsets were “relatively cheap”, at about five to six dollars per tonne of carbon dioxide.
Councillor Josh Fergeus opposed, arguing $45,000 could be “better spent” on local renewable projects.
Councillor Stuart James described the result as “exceptional”, but said more work to reduce the council’s emissions would be needed.
Councillors also voted in favour of allocating $30,000 towards investigating future carbon reduction investments.
Monash Council has now become the last Victorian council to introduce a separate Waste Service Charge, with councillors unanimously endorsing the $394 fee for all ratepayers on Tuesday night.
Monash mayor Paul Klisaris said the council would also investigate introducing a cheaper 80-litre bin for residents who produce less waste.
“During consultation, we heard it is unfair that smaller households and people doing their best to reduce waste are paying the same as others,” he told the Eastern Melburnian.
The standard size bin in Monash is 120 litres for red landfill and 240 litres for yellow recycling and green organic waste.
Residents can upgrade to a 240-litre landfill bin for $417 a year. They can also pay for an extra 240-litre recycling bin ($73.10) and an extra 240-litre green waste bin ($173.20), with additional fees added to rates.
During Tuesday’s meeting, all councillors voted in support of the motion to impose a Waste Service Charge of $394, which would be listed separately to rates and come into effect in 2026/27.
Monash councillor and Audit and Risk Committee member, Geoff Lake, said approving the charge was “the only responsible thing” to do.
As part of the 2025/26 rates, Monash Council imposed a $65 service charge per property to help cover waste costs. This will raise about $5.6 million, $26 million short of the $31.6 million required.
Lake said diverting money from general revenue towards waste-related costs has meant “less money available to do things like build playgrounds [and] fix footpaths”.
Public consultation ran from June 24 to September 1, via notices to 86,285 ratepayers, a phone survey of 400 people and 85 submissions on Shape Monash.
Concerns were raised about how some in the community would afford increased costs, while it was suggested charging by weight would be fairer for those who produce less waste.
State legislation requires all councils to introduce a purple-lidded glass bin by July 1, 2027.
For Monash, this means purchasing 54,000 bins and adding a collection service – raising costs by a further $68 per property.
Lake said the demand to justify a bin for glass was “just not clear” and that Monash Council was one of 31 councils seeking a delay to the rollout.
SEEN THIS WEEK 🤓
From a group of about 40 women singing in a barbershop quartet style to vocalists paying tribute to two iconic Austrian composers, here are some of the gigs across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs in October.
Please reach out if I’ve missed anything. If you go to any of these events please send through a photo and I can shout you out in an upcoming newsletter.
Cherry blossoms in Wandin East
Contributor Natasha Richards popped into Cherry Hill Orchards in Wandin East recently to check out everything on offer at this year’s Blossom Festival.
Tickets are $15 for adults and children are free.
Extra happenings across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs in October
Dandenong Ranges Literary Festival 2025
The inaugural Dandenong Ranges Literary Festival will include a range of workshops and presentations at Cameo Cinemas, Belgrave Library and Belgrave Hub.
When: Saturday October 18, 9am to 5pm
Where: Various locations in Belgrave
Cost: $25 per event
Headspace Knox and Lilydale Art Competition - “Make Space”
As part of celebrations around Headspace Day on Thursday October 9, the teams from Headspace Knox and Lilydale are encouraging locals aged 12 to 25 to get creative and explore mental health through art, by making pieces around this year’s theme of “Make Space”.
All entries can be in any medium, but must be able to be mounted on a wall, and reflect their interpretation of one of the following themes:
What does diversity and harmony mean to you?
What makes “me” me?
What does mental health and/or wellbeing mean to you?
What does community mean to you?
Submissions close on Thursday November 6, with entries to be dropped off at the Knox and Lilydale offices during business hours.
There are cash prizes for first ($250), second ($150) and third ($100) and Headspace merchandise will be given to all participants.
Thanks for catching up with us this week at the Eastern Melburnian. We hope you enjoyed this issue, and we’d love to hear your thoughts. We’ll be back next week to shine a spotlight on the under-reported issues in our patch, so stay tuned!
Cheers,
Matthew and the Eastern Melburnian team