2020-11-10 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                            10 NOVEMBER 2020


for various waste streams in future years 2025 through to 2050 are also detailed. Diversion rates
are expressed as a percentage of total tonnage of waste generated.
Table 1
Queensland Government Proposed Diversion of Waste from Landfill
 Waste Stream                      Baseline (2018)  2025        2030            2040       2050
 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)           32.4%         55%        70%             90%        95%
 Commercial and Industrial (C&I)       47.3%         65%        80%             90%        95%
 Construction and Demolition (C&D)     50.9%         75%        85%             85%        85%
 Overall Diversion                     45.4%         65%        80%             85%        90%

2.   Investigations into Feasibility of Waste Diversion From Landfill

2.1 Memorandum of Understating (MOU)
Noosa Council entered an (MOU) with Unitywater, Moreton Bay Regional Council and Sunshine
Coast Regional Council on 18 December 2018 to investigate the feasibility of introducing
advanced waste treatment technology to our region. Unitywater wanted to improve the treatment
of sewage sludge (bio solids) and the re-use of the material. The three local governments sort to
reduce waste to landfill, particularly the removal and treatment of organic waste (primarily food
and garden waste) and opportunities to divert other non-recyclable waste through a Waste to
Energy process (WtE) using thermal degradation of the material.
Unitywater took the lead role on behalf of MOU participants and engaged consultant Ramboll
Australia Pty Ltd to undertake a feasibility study on available options for diversion and advanced
treatment of waste. Ramboll have international experience in design and construction of
advanced waste treatment technologies.
2.2 MOU Waste Feasibility Study
The feasibility study considered a wide range of waste streams in the region such as construction
and demolition waste, commercial and industrial waste and kerbside recyclable waste. Most
Local Government had local and relatively effective solutions for some of these waste streams
and the main focus turned to three significant waste streams that could be diverted from landfill,
which included:
   Organic Waste – primarily Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO).
   Residual non-recyclable waste with a high calorific value suitable for thermal destruction.
   Bio solids from Unitywater Sewage Treatment facilities.
Waste to energy technology (WtE) to generate electricity emerged as an important consideration
as the sale of electricity can reduced some costs of the treatment process and provide a valuable
energy resource.
2.3 Wide Bay Burnett Regional Organisation of Councils (WBBROC) Study
The WBBROC local government region consists of local governments from Bundaberg,
Cherbourg, Gympie, Fraser Coast, North Burnett, and South Burnett. During the MOU
investigations WBBROC also commenced an investigation into regional advanced waste
treatment. Noosa Council accepted an invitation to participate in their study, subject to advising
that Noosa’s preference was to participate in the MOU regional approach as our first priority.
3.   MOU - Final Consultant’s Report
The consultant’s most significant recommendations are summarized below:
   Anaerobic digestion (AD) of sewage sludge mixed with food organics and garden organics
     (FOGO), collected by local governments through an improved and expanded weekly
     kerbside collection service. (It was noted that AD cannot accept large branches or palm
     fronds which are commonly placed into the garden waste bin as this disrupts the treatment
     process).
   Capture and combust methane from the enclosed AD facility/s to generate electricity.

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