Bega Valley Shire Council is celebrating a major step forward in its journey towards a more sustainable future, with the approval of a new organics processing facility at the Central Waste Facility in Wolumla.
The NSW Southern Regional Planning Panel granted approval for the Development Application (DA) following a recent meeting where a range of stakeholders, including community representatives and Council staff, contributed to the discussion.
The proposed facility will be capable of processing up to 15,000 tonnes of food and garden organic (FOGO) material each year in its first stage.
“This project marks a significant step forward for waste and recycling in our region,” Acting Waste and Recycling Services Manager, Tim Cook said.
“Our current Merimbula facility is limited to processing 5,000 tonnes each year and the NSW Environment Protection Authority has ruled that it can’t be expanded at that site.
“A new processing plant at our Central Waste Facility in Wolumla will help us keep up with our community’s strong uptake of FOGO and send less organic waste to landfill.
“Residents are already doing the right thing at home and this will help us make the most of it by turning organic waste into something useful and supporting a more sustainable local economy.”
Council has awarded the contract to design, construct and operate the facility to SOILCO for an initial 10-year period, with construction expected to begin in the coming months and operations commencing in the second half of 2027.
SOILCO’s Chief Executive Officer, Alex Hatherly, welcomed the announcement of the approval.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Bega Valley Shire Council to deliver this new composting facility at Wolumla,” he said
“It’s an important investment in the region’s circular economy, and we’re proud to provide infrastructure that can grow alongside the community.
“This approval brings us one step closer to manufacturing high-quality outputs that will give life to soil in the Bega Valley.”
There will be no change to residents’ kerbside waste services, with the new facility designed to seamlessly support existing FOGO collections.
This milestone is another step toward reducing landfill and recognising organic waste as a valuable community resource within a circular economy.
This article was originally published here by Bega Valley Shire Council.
