2019 NALG Winner profile – Lake Macquarie City, NSW

A new facility that reduces Lake Macquarie City Council’s environmental footprint, will save it millions of dollars, and creates local jobs has won the National Award for Local Government Boosting Productivity Through Infrastructure category.

Funded by the NSW Government, the Organics Resource Recovery Facility is operated by Remondis Group and will extend the life of council’s Awaba Waste Management Facility by diverting tens of thousands of tonnes of material from landfill – avoiding waste levy payments.

Lake Macquarie City Council, NSW from Infrastructure & Regional Dev on Vimeo.

“We’re proud to have won this award on behalf of the 205,000 residents who call Lake Macquarie City home,” says Council’s Director of Service Delivery, John Ferguson.

“Over the next 10 years, the facility will create employment and deliver clear economic productivity benefits by diverting significant organic material from landfill, and save more than $15 million over 10 years.

“Throughout this project, we have aligned with federal and state government goals of creating a circular economy and finding ways to reuse our finite resources.”

The facility has since July 2018 been processing organic waste from residents’ kerb side green bins, transforming it into high-quality pasteurised compost that’s used on council parks and gardens, vineyards, and sporting fields.

While Remondis sells most of it to local landscapers and the agricultural industry, Council regularly gives away some of the compost to residents, ensuring a closed loop for the resource.

“The state-of-the-art plant is capable of converting up to 44,000 tonnes of organic waste each year into compost,” John says.

“About one-third of household garbage is food waste, which means a huge amount of waste material is already being diverted from landfill.

“In the first six months of operation, the facility received and processed 20,000 tonnes, and is on track to recycle 40,000 tonnes by the end of its first year of operation.

“This will result in around $5.6 million in avoided waste levy payments for material that would otherwise be landfilled, and a forecast net savings between the garbage and green bin services of $1.5 million.”

Although the facility’s in its early days, it’s already made a positive difference, and council says it’s a leader in the field.

It will measure success by factors including tonnage of organic waste collected and processed, how many households participate, contamination rates, and school tours to its on-site education centre.

Council will continue working with Remondis and residents to improve services and the facility’s efficiency.

“The ongoing success of the facility will set an excellent precedent for local government partnerships and investment in infrastructure that contributes to the economic, social and sustainable wellbeing of Australian communities,” John says.

“Council has been approached by many local, NSW and Australian councils for information about the project and is attracting international attention, having recently hosted a comprehensive tour of the facility for a delegation from Malaysia.

“Given the success of the facility so far, Remondis is exploring options to potentially expand the facility in the future.”

Image: Another delivery of organic material arrives at Lake Macquarie City Council’s Organics Resource Recovery Facility. Photo courtesy LMCC.

Read our earlier story on 2019 NALG winner, City of Stirling (WA).