Town Planning Report - Other Change Composting Facility · 132005.638.06

“Specialist services and practical solutions”



       1        Executive Summary

       The proposed development seeks to change the current development approval to allow for a
       composting facility at the Noosa Resource Recovery Centre (NRRC). The composting facility
       will be centrally located within the exiting operational area and will provide for the extension
       of the existing onsite management of green and other organic waste materials. The existing
       onsite mulching of green waste is to be replaced with a more advanced composting process,
       which that will also include selected low-medium odour generating food products to provide
       a compost that could be used as a soil conditioner off the site.

       The land affected by the development is included within the Community Facilities Zone
       (annotated Utility Installation). The proposed development will form part of the existing NRRC
       and is consistent with the current land zoning being for a utility installation. The proposed
       operation of the composting facility is an extension of the existing green waste management
       and remains ancillary to operation of the NRRC. No manufacturing of soil conditioners is being
       proposed on the site.

       The key issues to be considered are summarised below:

           •    Community need - Council has a responsibility to continuously improve waste and
                recycling at the NRRC. The planned improvements to the facility are critical to improve
                the efficiency of the current operation and maintain sufficient land for Council to meet
                other waste deferral expectations. Waste is to be managed in a sustainable manner
                consistent with the needs of the community with the proposed new facility being in
                the public interest.

           •    Environmental impacts - Council must operate the landfill under the Environmental
                Authority (EA) permit (EPPR01855314) for the site. The addition of a composting facility
                will include another Environmentally Relevant Activity, ERA53 for composting. Council
                has a general environmental duty and is obligated under the Environmental Protection
                Act 1994, to take all reasonable measures to minimise the risk, reduce and prevent
                environmental harm. Expansion and improvements to the NRRC are necessary to
                achieve compliance with the environmental authority under the Environmental
                Protection Act 1994.

           •    The operation of the existing NRRC, including the proposed new composing facility is
                aligned with regional waste plan initiatives to reduce landfill and produce other
                sustainable products of value, which is critical given the increasing population growth
                in Noosa and the Sunshine Coast Council area towards the north.

           •    Local government is required to promote and implement waste avoidance, reduction
                and resource recovery actions to meet National waste standards, and the proposed
                composting facility along with other initiatives forms an important component of the
                continuous improvement process at the NRRC.




       23026 – Noosa Resource Recovery Centre (NRRC) – Composting Facility                Page 6