Regional waste hub

THE City of Greater Geelong is leading a collaborative project with neighbouring councils to develop a new regional major waste and recycling hub in the region, with state government support.
The facility would include technologies to improve the sorting of recyclables and the quality of recovered materials; a resource recovery centre supporting residents and businesses to recycle, recover and reuse goods and materials; and an efficient, cost-effective bulk haulage transfer station for the G21 councils.
The project is being supported by the Recycling Victoria Councils Fund, which is delivered by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government.
The city will receive $80,000 through the fund to lead the preparation of a feasibility study into the initiative, with in-kind contributions from all
G21 councils.
The study will include site assessments, analysis of different options and the development of a concept design for the preferred model.
City of Greater Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher said the hub would have considerable benefits for the five councils and their ratepayers.
“The recent recycling crisis and the fallout in the industry has highlighted the need to improve the waste and recycling infrastructure in the region and minimise our dependency on external markets,” Cr Asher said.
“Centralising operations through a purpose-built regional facility will reduce our exposure to market forces, increase efficiencies and reduce costs for residential collection services.”
Chair of the council’s circular economy portfolio Cr Belinda Moloney said the project built on the strong established partnership among the G21 councils, with support from the Barwon South West Waste and Resource
Recovery Group.
“An innovative project of this scale could only be developed with the backing and input of all our regional councils,” she said.
“To minimise the amount of waste going to landfill, we need to change the way we manage our resources.
“An integrated hub would set the whole region on a path to a circular economy and help us meet our wider environmental sustainability targets.”