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Organics processing facility

FOGO and organics processing: the next chapter.

Truck dumping out compost.

Project overview

The huge success of the weekly FOGO bin collection and composting service has contributed to processing more than 60,000 tonnes of garden and kitchen waste at the Merimbula Organics Processing Facility since opening in 2016. 

With the FOGO collection service quadrupling in volume over the last five years, and projected to grow further, limited space to expand at the Merimbula site has meant we are now required to find a new home – and a new operator – for the shire’s organics processing service.

In 2021 an organics processing options analysis identified a preferred new site at the Central Waste Facility in Wolumla.

Councillors resolved in February 2021 to move organics processing to the Central Waste Facility, and to gauge private sector interest in the processing of our organics. Councillors further resolved in September 2022 on a procurement pathway to engage a contractor to design, construct, operate and maintain the facility.

Following an Expression of Interest released in January 2023, three organisations with extensive organics processing experience were selected to tender to construct and operate a 15,000 tonne per annum facility at the Central Waste Facility, taking into account community expectations, alignment with our Community Strategic Plan, service delivery and operational costs.

In late October 2023, SOILCO Pty Ltd was awarded a $24.8 million contract to design, construct, operate and maintain the facility. The facility will use covered aerated static pile technology (CASP) which is a large improvement on the current technology used at the existing facility. CASP is a widely accepted technology for processing organics and is perfectly suited to a facility of this size.

Once FOGO and garden organics are received at the facility, it will be shredded, contaminants removed and placed into concrete bays for several weeks. These bays have membrane covers which reduce odour and leachate generation.

The contract with SOILCO involves initial design and once the development is approved, construction of the facility and an initial ten-year contract to operate and maintain the facility.

SOILCO have extensive experience in processing organics in NSW and have facilities in Wogamia, Kembla Grange and Tweed Heads with a large western Sydney development in the planning stages. Further information about SOILCO can be found on their website SOILCO

The Development Application and Environmental Impact Statement for the new facility were lodged in December 2024. The facility will be constructed in two stages: the first stage will allow 15,000 tonnes of material to be processed every year, with a second stage doubling capacity if we need.

Funding

The funding for this project will be provided by Bega Valley Shire Council and the Bushfire Recovery Program for Council Landfills.  All rateable assessments in the Bega Valley Shire pay a Waste Management Charge to cover the cost of waste management services including: operation and maintenance of transfer stations and landfills, delivery of waste minimisation programs, and rehabilitation of legacy landfill sites.

Council’s Waste Strategy Recycling our Future focusses on various waste management strategies aimed at diverting waste from landfill through waste minimisation and resource recovery. In February 2021, Council made a commitment to achieving the initiatives of the strategy, by resolving to upgrade existing waste transfer stations and invest in resource recovery and waste processing infrastructure.

Aside from site upgrades, a 30-year financial model for waste services also identifies the cost for remediation of more than 20 legacy landfill sites, and an expansion of the existing kerbside collection service to rural landholdings. Gradual increases to waste charges are a reflection of rising costs and our community’s ambition to provide a sustainable future for waste services. However this project is not expected to require any additional charges to ratepayers over and above their current contributions.

Connection to Council's Community Strategic Plan

This project is connected to numerous outcomes in Council’s Community Strategic Plan. These include: Sustainable long-term service delivery, innovative approach to waste management, minimise waste to landfill, increase recycling and resource recovery, environmental protection, minimise public place litter.

Learn more about our

FOGO service

Organics Processing Facility EIS

Contact:

Kimberley Rushbrook
Waste Project Manager
Bega Valley Shire Council
Email: waste@begavalley.nsw.gov.au

Timeline of works


  • February 2021

    Council decision to proceed with Waste Consolidation and Modernisation Project, including moving organics to Central Waste Facility and gauging private sector interest in processing of our organics.

  • May 2021

    Organics Processing options analysis received.

  • May to June 2021

    Organics processing Expression of Interest released.

  • July 2021

    EOI findings to Council Workshop.

  • July to end 2021

    Further evaluation of operating models.

  • Start 2022 – August 2022

    Specialist studies and early tender specifications prepared.

  • September 2022

    Procurement pathway approval.

  • February 2023

    Specialist planning and environmental consultants engaged to prepare studies and Environmental Impact Statement.

  • October 2022 - August 2023

    Expression of Interest, Early Tenderer Involvement activities, Request for Tender and evaluation.

  • September 2023 - September 2024

    Contract award, facility design and finalise Environmental Impact Statement.

  • December 2024

    Development application submitted.

  • January - June 2026

    Construction activities.

  • July - September 2026

    Facility operational.

Frequently Asked Questions


You can continue to drop off garden organics to the transfer stations, however no public drop offs will be permitted directly to the new facility when it is operational at the Central Waste Facility.  It will remain closed to the general public.

The facility will be constructed to take up to 15,000 tonnes per annum of FOGO and garden organics, however council will seek approvals for 30,000 tonnes per annum which means that when volumes increase, further processing bays can be constructed without having to go through the development process again.

The NSW EPA put out a position statement in 2022 which clarified what should and shouldn’t go into the FOGO bin. Compostable packaging should not be placed into the green FOGO bin. Other than food and garden organics, only compostable caddy liners (AS 4736 certified) and fibre-based liners are permitted at this stage. If you’re not sure what can go in the green bin check out the link here: FOGO - what you can put in your green bin? - Bega Valley Shire Council (nsw.gov.au) or download the Bega Valley Waste and Recycling App.

The new facility will be operational in 2026 and until then compost will still be able to be purchased at the transfer stations. SOILCO will manage their own distribution networks and may choose to make compost available at locations in the Bega Valley, however council is not intending to buy back material to sell at transfer stations.

The new facility has increased capacity for processing organic material with the initial construction of a 15,000 tonne per annum facility. When demand increases, we can build new bays to process more organic material. The long-term financial plan has been adjusted so that council can afford to construct the facility without increasing charges for ratepayers. The new facility will be purpose built and use better technology to remove contaminants, shred and process the organics than the existing facility.

The Merimbula Organics Processing Facility is at capacity and cannot be expanded.  Council is looking at different opportunities to expand the organics we collect and process by exploring private interest in processing our organics, as well as assessing the processing methods should we move this function to the Central Waste Facility.


Waste Management: looking forward

 

© Bega Valley Shire Council 2025

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