Ben Taylor, who is vying for the seat of Buninyong, said about 40 per cent of the rubbish in household bins was organic and green waste.

“Ballarat should have it. The more we stop putting in the ground the better,” he said.

Liberal funding for the project was “not guaranteed”, according to Mr Taylor, who said he would be pushing Victorian Coalition members for a financial commitment before the state election. 

Liberal candidate for Wendouree Craig Coltman said the bins, if installed with the correct model, would decrease council waste disposal costs, but he could not provide The Courier with details of the model.

Residents can currently take their green waste to the Smythesdale landfill site, a waste transfer station at Gillies street or pay for a council collection.

Smythesdale landfill site supervisor David Masterson said about five per cent of the 1000 tonnes of garbage sent to the site each week was green waste.

“There’s not that much of a stress on landfill as far as green waste goes,” he said.

Mayor Joshua Morris welcomed the Liberal candidates’ plans, saying curbside green waste collection was being considered.

“If it’s something candidates are thinking of, we’re more than happy to work with them,” he said

Cr Morris said the City of Ballarat was looking for financial partnerships, from either a government agency or the private sector, to deliver the service. 

Labor member for Ballarat East Geoff Howard said he was surprised to hear state candidates were campaigning on “what was essentially a council issue”.

“It seems that they’ve got their radar wrong,” he said.

“The council has been looking at the issue and it would be very good if an extended green waste service could be offered.”

Nationals candidate for Buninyong Sonia Smith said environmental sustainability should be at the heart of all policy reform.

“The funding is clearly not going to come from an increase in rates; it needs to be part of an integrated program,” she said. “There has to be a (recycling) culture. You can’t just put out a bin and expect people to use it.”

william.vallely@fairfaxmedia.com.au