Waste Management and Resource Recovery Advisory Group

The Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQROC) has developed a Regional Resource Recovery Plan (RRR Plan) that presents a series of actions to collaboratively deliver resource recovery outcomes and provide positive impact across its 11 council areas. Together, these councils represented by FNQROC, have committed to sharing and cooperating to minimise waste and maximise resilient and effective resource recovery systems for FNQ. The Far North Queensland (FNQ) region covered by the RRR Plan spans approx. 250,000km2 with each of the 11 councils comprising diverse communities, natural environments, geographical areas, and primary industries, with varying drivers and capacities when it comes to waste and resource management. The RRR Plan aims to address this diversity in supplying outcomes for each individual council and the region as a whole.

The resource recovery sector in FNQ is facing a range of challenges, driven by changing policy, large transport distances, low economies of scale, lack of local markets, community behaviours and capacity to pay, and lack of infrastructure or aging assets. These challenges result in decreased participation in recycling, low resource recovery rates, and increased volume of waste to landfill. Without support and planning the region has low capacity to meet the State strategy targets and improve regional resource recovery outcomes.

The RRR Plan sets out eight key actions which have been developed with the aim to improve economics of resource recovery operations, encourage economic development, meet or move toward State targets and improve environmental and social outcomes for the region. Development of these eight key actions took into consideration the current issues, capacity and needs of each council and set out an implementation pathway of initiatives. The eight key actions are summarised below:

• Action 1 - Step-change in customer engagement
• Action 2 - Optimise regional servicing arrangements
• Action 3 - New transfer station facilities and closure of facilities with regulatory or environmental issues
• Action 4 - Enhance kerbside collection approach
• Action 5 - Maximise diversion of organic waste from landfill
• Action 6 - Optimise regional network of resource recovery facilities
• Action 7 - Develop centralised resource recovery precinct
• Action 8 - Develop alternatives to landfill for residual waste

These eight actions work together to provide improved regional resource recovery, economic viability and development outcomes for FNQ.

Waste Management and Resource Recovery Advisory Group Meeting Packs

Waste Management and Resource Recovery Advisory Group Documentation