2020-11-10 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                               10 NOVEMBER 2020


5    REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMITTEE


1    REGIONAL WASTE TREATMENT FEASIBILITY STUDIES UPDATE

Author          Manager Waste and Environmental Health, Wayne Schafer
                Community Services Department

Index            ECM/Subject: Waste Management

Attachments      Nil



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Noosa Council seeks to maximise diversion of waste from landfill for environmental, economic
and sustainable infrastructure reasons. These include:
   The life of the Eumundi Rd Landfill site is limited and it is costly to operate.
   The State Waste Levy of $75 per tonne (rising to $90 per tonne) for commercial waste, is
     intended to deter landfilling of waste and encourage diversion and treatment of waste as a
     resource.
   There is speculation regarding the possibility of the waste levy being applied to domestic
     waste. The State Government currently contributes approximately $2 Million per annum to
     Noosa to offset the impact of the waste levy on domestic premises.
   The Federal Government Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 will progressively
     restrict offshore processing of recyclable waste by 2025.
   The State Government Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy for
     Queensland proposes a 90% reduction of all waste sent to landfill by 2050.
   Councils Zero Emissions Strategy recognises that the landfill has the most significant
     impact on our current emissions.
To consider regional prospects to manage diverted waste, Noosa Council participated in a
regional waste feasibility study initiated by Unitywater under a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) which commenced in December 2018. The feasibility study investigated the potential for
regional advanced waste treatment to improve the diversion of waste from landfill and the reuse
of sewage bio solids. The MOU participants included Unitywater, Noosa Council, Moreton Bay
Regional Council and Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
The engaged consultant, Ramboll Australia Pty Ltd, provided a final report, which in summary
recommended advanced treatment of 2 waste streams:
   Anaerobic digestion of organic waste (food and garden waste mixed with bio solids from
     Unitywater sewage treatment plants); and/or
   Thermal destruction of combustible solid waste such as waste contained in the red lidded
     general waste bin using a moving grate incinerator; and
   Generation of electricity from treatment processes to offset some of the costs and harness
     a valuable energy resource.
The proposal of working in partnership with Unitywater and other councils to divert and treat
waste regionally has distinct advantages based on economies of scale. However, the report
recommendations have raised some implementation challenges and partners are not in a
position to implement the consultant’s recommendations. Unitywater has written to MOU
participants advising that the MOU feasibility investigation is complete.

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