Advanced Resource Recovery Centre
- Project typeWaste & recycling
- Project valueFY 24-25 $28 million (current funding of feasibility study)
If we continue at our current rate of sending waste to landfill, our city will run out of landfill space within the next decade.
To end our reliance on landfill, we are proposing an integrated recycling and energy precinct, the Advanced Resource Recovery Centre (ARRC).
A prefeasibility study in 2023 found the ARRC provided the best environmental and economic outcomes, compared to transporting our waste to landfills outside the Gold Coast.
Watch the video on why the ARRC is necessary:
Project details
The ARRC will increase recycling rates and generate energy from leftover waste that cannot be recycled. It will divert up to 97% of waste from landfill.
In 2024, we are consulting the community and stakeholders. Everyone will have an opportunity to learn more and have their say on the proposed precinct.
The 8 individual facilities aim to recycle and reuse waste for beneficial purposes.
Sewage treatment plant to service the northern suburbs
We need to construct a new sewage treatment plant in Stapylton to service the catchment's growing population. We currently have an agreement with Logan City Council. We transfer sewage flows from the Stapylton catchment to the Beenleigh sewage treatment plant. However, they have limited capacity to transfer and treat waste.
The new plant will process and treat the wastewater to remove contaminants and pollutants before most of the water is released back into the environment.
Recycled water treatment plant to provide Class A recycled water to non-residential customers
The new sewage treatment facility will have a recycled water treatment plant. It will provide Class A recycled water for industrial and agricultural customers in the northern suburbs. The water can also be used on sports fields, open-space irrigation, cooling towers and selected agriculture. Using recycled water can provide a climate-resilient, affordable and reliable water supply. The ARRC will also use recycled water in its daily operations.
Recycling facility to sort recyclable materials collected across the city
The facility will use new technologies to reduce contamination when sorting comingled recyclables. Reducing contamination will increase the amount of material recovered to make new products. More material will help generate economic growth via the demand for recyclable materials.
Construction and demolition processing facility
The Gold Coast's construction industry is growing rapidly as it caters for our expanding city. Recycling construction and demolition materials can help manage waste sustainably. It can also conserve precious natural resources. This facility will process recyclable construction and demolition materials into reusable waste streams such as metals, concrete, asphalt, timber and soils.
Organics processing facility
Organics will be recycled in a controlled environment to capture methane emissions created during processing.
The processed organics can also be used to produce energy. The processed organics will be converted into compost and mulch. They can be used in parks and gardens, in agriculture or to rejuvenate soils.
Residual waste to energy facility that will divert waste from landfill and produce green electricity
The facility will use left over waste as a fuel to create steam. The steam will then be used to generate electricity. The process will:
- divert waste from landfill
- create energy and
- reduce greenhouse emissions.
Green hydrogen electrolysis plant
The plant will convert water through electrolysis into hydrogen and oxygen. This will support industrial uses and energy production. It will also fuel the City's waste collection fleet.
Community education centre
Embedded in the ARRC, this centre will provide resources to schools and the interested public. Through the centre, the ARRC will also support training, research and employment opportunities in sustainability.
Take a look
Community benefits
- Meet the Gold Coast's increased solid waste and sewage treatment needs
- Remove the need to transport waste to landfills outside the Gold Coast
- Divert up to 97% of waste from existing landfills
- Insulate ratepayers from increasing landfill costs
- Increase recycling opportunities
- Improve environmental outcomes
- Reduce energy costs for the City
- Generate energy for a cleaner, greener city
- Create more than 2000 jobs during construction
- Create up to 170 permanent full-time jobs during operation
- Encourage circular economy through opportunities for increased remanufacturing of recycled materials
- Attract new businesses with a recycling or sustainability focus
Download our brochure for more information:
Advanced Resource Recovery Centre brochure(PDF, 383KB)
Location
The facilities are proposed to be situated on City-owned land primarily in Stapylton:
- Lot 1 and Lot 2 Rossmanns Road, Stapylton
- Quinns Hill Road East, Stapylton
- Christensen Road South, Stapylton
Exact locations will be determined based on the outcomes of the feasibility study.
Current stage: Feasibility study
Extensive assessments are being conducted as part of the feasibility study so we can provide detailed project options for consideration. These assessments include:
- Conceptual Site Model
- Economic Impact Assessment
- Social Impact Assessment
- Traffic Impact Assessment
- Visual Impact
- Air Quality
- Odour
- Noise/Vibration
- Human Health
- Ecology (Dry and Wet)
- Hydrology, Flood Impact and Surface Water Impact Assessment
- Bushfire Risk
- Ash Management Study
- Greenhouse Gas
- Groundwater and Hydrogeology
- River Water Quality Monitoring
We've engaged consultants who are leading experts in their fields. These include engineers, environmental scientists, human health scientists, and researchers.
These studies will help us determine the best environmental and economic outcomes. Results will be available throughout 2024 and 2025.
Find out why the ARRC is better for the environment than landfill:
Community consultation
Your involvement and feedback are important to us. We are undertaking widespread community consultation.
Community information sessions
These will be scheduled for different times and areas of the Gold Coast throughout 2024 and 2025. To hear about them as they are scheduled, sign up for project updates (below) or check back here regularly. Details and registrations will be available at What's On Gold Coast.
Market stalls
We will be attending various markets and community events throughout 2024.
Provide feedback via our online form
Have your say
Sign up for project updates
The easiest way to stay up to date and to hear about community information sessions is to subscribe for project updates.
View our Privacy notice.
Your questions answered
Thanks for your feedback. Here are the answers to some of your questions so far.
How will this affect rates?
The ARRC will cost significantly less to build and operate than the cost of transporting waste to landfills outside of the Gold Coast, which is the only other option. Landfill costs are rising every year and will continue to rise over the next 30 years as capacity in South-East Queensland dwindles further. The ARRC is designed to insulate ratepayers from the rising costs of landfill.
Is Council paying for this?
We're investigating the most appropriate funding model. This will involve seeking support from all levels of government and potential private investors.
Who will own it and operate it?
We're working on a detailed business model which will determine ownership of the different facilities.
In May 2024, Council resolved to retain majority ownership of the facilities to ensure positive outcomes for our community. Each facility will be run by industry operators who specialise in recycling and waste management. These will be determined through a tender process. The sewage treatment plant will be operated by City staff, in the same manner as our other plants.
How will this work? Will we still put our rubbish in the bin, or do we have to take it away ourselves?
Kerbside collections won't change! Your general waste, recycling and green organics bins will still be collected from your street.
The ARRC will give us more capacity to recycle what we collect, and to use what can't be recycled to produce energy instead of going to landfill.
You will also still be able to access our Waste & Recycling Centres for other recyclables and to dispose of items that can't go in your general waste bin.
Will the ARRC sort waste to remove recyclables that have been put in the general waste bins?
No. Studies have found that when this happens, more people put recyclable materials into general waste bins assuming it will be sorted later. The best recycling results are achieved when the user recycles as the point of disposal, i.e. at home.
We will continue providing education and information to the community to help with recycling. We're also supporting research into strategies for improved recovery behaviour change programs.
Will you have recycling for more plastics?
We rely on the recycling industry for these services, and we are planning for growth. The ARRC will enable our recycling contractors to upgrade equipment and technologies for better outcomes. We are also supporting research into soft plastics recycling.
The best results are achieved by not using or purchasing plastics in the first place, particularly single use plastics. We encourage our community to practice avoidance wherever possible.
What about food organics – why don't you offer that to reduce landfill?
We understand the community's interest in food organics recycling. The process for this is more involved than for recycling garden waste and we haven't yet found a service provider who can offer a solution that is cost-effective for our ratepayers.
We are continuing to work towards a solution. We are undertaking a trial now of food organics recycling in high rise buildings. We offer a free program, Love Food Hate Waste, to help residents reduce food waste at home. We also have a commercial food organics service for certain hospitality premises and are investigating the expansion of this service.
We need soft plastics recycling – why don't you offer that?
We depend on the recycling industry for a solution for soft plastics. Unfortunately, there is no provider able to offer this service to us currently. There is a trial in 12 Victorian supermarkets, but none is planned for Queensland due to the lack of recycling facilities. APR plastics is the only facility in Australia now which can recycle soft plastics. Recycle Smart send small amounts of soft plastics to APR, but they don't have capacity to take on large new areas like ours.
We are:
- supporting research into finding a new solution for soft plastics recycling
- developing assessments for plastic circular economy business models to attract industry.
We will continue to monitor the industry and, in the meantime, encourage our community members to reduce their use of soft plastics, particularly single use items.