RESOURCE RECOVERY AREA EXPANSION · Report

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                      11 DECEMBER 2023


In 2008 the Eumundi Noosa Road Resource Recovery site (Lot 77), established a Resource
Recovery Area to permit recycling activities on site to lessen the volume of materials and waste
being sent to landfill. The trend in waste tonnage being processed through the Resource Recovery
Area can be seen in the below chart – which shows that the volumes are now more than double the
original throughput, despite an increased waste diversion rate across the site. This observation
reinforces the need for a reassessment of our waste management infrastructure to accommodate
the increasing demands of our growing community. Despite the shift towards increased recycling
practices, the annual influx of 1.8 million tourists to Noosa and the significant population growth of
the region - this Resource Recovery Area has not undergone any expansion since its construction
in 2008.




2. Resource Recovery Area Expansion

In conjunction with the region’s growth and the site’s deferral practices, Council’s Waste Branch has
been planning for the expansion of the Resource Recovery Area for a number of years and the
capital expenditure for the high-efficiency sediment basin was approved by Council in 2020. To
manage identified risks and continue to meet the community’s needs, a development application has
been submitted for the expansion of the Resource Recovery Area into an adjacent vegetated land
parcel. This land, approximately 1 hectare in size (representing 0.3% of the original Lot 77), falls
within the Community Infrastructure Zone which historically was designated and planned for landfill
use.