Have Your Say on Energy and Recycling Precinct

Published on 07 May 2024

Community engagement will begin this week on a proposed recycling and energy precinct in the city’s north which will divert up to 97% of waste from landfill.

Mayor Tom Tate said it was vital we reduced our reliance on landfill and estimated that capacity would be reached at current facilities within 10 years with no suitable new landfill sites identified.

He said the proposed Advanced Resource Recovery Centre (ARRC) for Stapylton was an 8-pronged approach to increase recycling and used residual waste to generate energy.

“A pre-feasibilty report found that this proposal not only offered economic and environmental benefits but would also divert up to 97% of waste from landfill,” Mayor Tate said.

“Landfill is outdated and there are innovative, more advanced options available to us that are better for our environment and for ratepayers,” Mayor Tate said.

“We can create a world-class sustainability hub here and create a future where recycling and green energy production dominate our waste management.

“It will also reduce the City’s cost to manage waste over the next 30 years in the order of $1.8 billion.”

The ARRC will consist of:

• A new recycling facility. New technology will reduce contamination and increase material able to be recycled.
• A construction and demolition waste recycling facility to recycle construction materials into reusable commodity streams such as metals, concrete, asphalt, timber, and soils.
• An organics processing facility that will produce compost and mulch.
• A residual waste to energy facility in which waste that cannot be recycled or reused will be used as a fuel to create steam that is then used to generate electricity. The facility will generate enough electricity to offset 100% of the City’s operational costs.
• A new sewage treatment plant (STP) to service the Stapylton area. Currently the City has a contract with Logan City to use their Beenleigh STP.
• A recycled water treatment plant (RWTP) to produce Class A recycled water for non-residential use like agriculture and industrial. All ARRC facilities will also use the water for operations.
• A green hydrogen electrolysis facility that will convert water from the WTP into hydrogen which will be used to fuel the City’s waste collection and transportation fleet.
• A community education centre to provide information and resources to schools and the public, as well as support training, research, and employment opportunities.

The ARRC will be located in Stapylton, on existing City-owned land adjacent to the existing landfill.

It is expected the precinct will attract interest from sustainability and manufacturing industries, creating jobs and business opportunities.

The project is currently in the feasibility phase with the City progressing through the regulatory approvals process.

Community consultation is underway, with targeted information being sent to residents in northern suburbs and members of the public can expect to see information stalls at various community markets and events in coming months.

Feedback can also be provided via the City’s website.

“This is just the beginning of a robust consultation process that will ramp up in coming months.

“I encourage everyone to head to our website, sign up for ARRC project updates, and provide their feedback.”