SEQ Councils & Organics Processing – Industry Brief

While there may be a general understanding that new organics kerbside collection services will be phased in over time, there is currently limited SEQ regional organics processing capacity available to support the full expansion of these services.

Background

The SEQ Waste Management Plan (Waste Plan), developed in 2021 in partnership with SEQ Council of Mayors members and the State Government. The Waste Plan sets out a directional path forward for action and collaboration across the Councils of South-East Queensland (SEQ) to improve waste management outcomes.

The Waste Plan identified the recovery of organics from the kerbside general waste stream as the single biggest opportunity to move the needle on landfill diversion targets contained in the Strategy. The diversion of organic material from landfills will require the phased rollout of organics kerbside collection and, subsequently, the associated increased organics processing capacity across SEQ.

To achieve this trajectory, councils will rely heavily on effective source separation of organic material and diverting it from the red lid (residual) bin, which currently represents up to approximately 50% of material collected through this kerbside service.

Guiding Principles of the Waste Plan

  1. the importance of working collaboratively across Councils;
  2. value-for-money solutions with the efficient allocation of capital;
  3. circular economy and environmental outcomes; and
  4. minimising the impact on households across SEQ

Queensland is the last major mainland state to roll out organic systems in municipal settings and is uniquely placed to consider the learnings from other jurisdictions to deliver best practice collection and processing solutions across SEQ.

Councils are currently considering implementing or expanding organic services, which are expected to be fully operational across the region by 2030.

CoMSEQ – Industry Brief

While there may be a general understanding that new organics kerbside collection services will be phased in over time, there is currently limited SEQ regional organics processing capacity available to support the full expansion of these services.

To support robust decision-making by SEQ Councils, and assist the PMO on potential investment approaches and opportunities, the PMO commissioned the development of the SEQ Organics Processing Roadmap.

Within the key findings of the SEQ Organics Processing Roadmap, it was recommended that SEQ Councils be transparent to the organics Industry on the market timing and composition of organics rollouts to align optimal market solutions to meet requirements.

On this basis, this industry brief is CoMSEQ led via the Waste Project Management Office (PMO).

The following table provides indicative only forecast for SEQ-wide organics types, tonnages and expected timing. Noting step changes in tonnage indicative of commencement of broader service rollouts.

Forecast Organics Tonnes & Expected Timing

SEQ Council & Organics TypeTonnes per Financial Year
24-2525-2626-2727-2828-2929-3030-3131-3232-33
Noosa Shire Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO4,8144,8604,8944,9284,9624,9975,0325,0595,087
MSW – Self-haul – GO5,1085,1565,1925,2295,2655,3025,3395,3685,397
C&I – GO6,2306,2896,3336,3786,4226,4676,5126,5476,583
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME16,15216,30616,42016,53416,65016,76616,88316,97417,066
Gympie Regional Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO
MSW – Self-haul – GO5,9325,9966,0306,0656,0996,1346,1696,1936,217
C&I – GO1,6291,6471,6561,6661,6751,6851,6941,7011,708
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME7,5617,6427,6867,7307,7747,8197,8647,8947,925
Sunshine Coast Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO29,37830,121
MSW – Kerbside – FOGO40,99641,79442,60843,43744,28345,05245,835
MSW – Self-haul – GO16,80817,23217,56817,91018,25818,61418,97619,30619,642
C&I – GO15,60415,99816,30916,62716,95017,28017,61717,92318,235
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME61,79063,35174,87376,33177,81679,33180,87682,28183,712
City of Moreton Bay         
MSW – Kerbside – GO16,33328,00028,50429,01729,53930,07130,61231,16331,724
MSW – Self-haul – GO20,86218,56018,89419,23419,58019,93320,29220,65721,029
C&I – GO11,73510,44010,62810,81911,01411,21211,41411,61911,829
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME48,93057,00058,02659,07060,13461,21662,31863,44064,582
Brisbane City Council          
MSW – Kerbside – GO39,55670,50671,12971,75772,39073,02973,67474,29074,911
MSW – Self-haul – GO23,69222,07222,26722,46322,66122,86223,06323,25623,451
C&I – GO33,50633,93634,23634,53834,84335,15035,46135,75736,056
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME96,754126,514127,631128,758129,894131,041132,198133,303134,417
Redland City Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO8,51422,43522,62822,82223,01823,21523,41523,61623,818
MSW – Self-haul – GO21,29215,63315,85516,15216,43716,69416,87317,02317,150
C&I – GO
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME29,80638,06838,48338,97439,45539,90940,28840,63940,968
Logan City Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO7,3577,61432,47033,60634,78235,56936,37437,05137,741
MSW – Self-haul – GO19,08219,75016,21016,77717,36417,75718,15918,49718,841
C&I – GO6,9727,2167,4687,7308,0008,1818,3668,5228,681
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME33,41134,58056,14858,11360,14761,50762,89964,07065,263
City of Gold Coast         
MSW – Kerbside – GO39,54040,49241,46642,46443,48669,71671,45373,23475,059
MSW – Self-haul – GO29,64930,24230,84731,46432,09332,73533,39034,05834,739
C&I – GO28,19928,76329,33829,92530,52331,13431,75732,39233,040
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME97,38899,497101,651103,853106,102133,585136,600139,684142,838
Scenic Rim Regional Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO2,6992,7392,7802,8222,8642,8902,916
MSW – Self-haul – GO4,8004,8734,4634,5304,5984,6664,7364,7794,822
C&I – GO
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME4,8004,8737,1627,2697,3787,4887,6007,6697,738
Ipswich City Council          
MSW – Kerbside – GO9,03527,50028,40329,33530,29931,29332,32133,52734,778
MSW – Self-haul – GO9,9158,7909,0799,3779,68510,00310,33110,71711,117
C&I – GO1,4651,5111,5611,6121,6651,7201,7761,8421,911
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME20,41537,80139,04340,32441,64843,01644,42846,08647,806
Lockyer Valley Regional Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO2,6113,1773,2213,2653,3103,3553,4013,4463,491
MSW – Self-haul – GO6,4716,3296,4166,5046,5936,6836,7746,8646,954
C&I – GO702711720730740750761771781
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME9,78410,21710,35710,49910,64310,78810,93611,08011,226
Somerset Regional Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO
MSW – Self-haul – GO242525252626262727
C&I – GO215217221224227230234237240
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME239242246249253256260264267
Toowoomba Regional Council         
MSW – Kerbside – GO10,70222,29122,48022,67022,86223,05623,25123,43323,616
MSW – Self-haul – GO37,33933,74734,03234,32134,61134,90535,20035,47535,753
C&I – GO4,8784,9164,9574,9995,0425,0845,1285,1685,208
TOTAL ORGANICS VOLUME52,91860,95361,47061,99062,51563,04563,57964,07664,577

Please Note: Some of the above indicated SEQ Council tonnes may already be committed to existing processing arrangements or current procurement activities.

The PMO is expecting Industry to respond directly to Councils, with value-for-money organics processing solutions, which may require the ability to provide sub-regional and/or collaborative-style processing solutions, as Council’s progressively release tenders to the market.

At this point in time, SEQ Councils have predominately indicated the rolling out or expansion of Garden Organics only Kerbside collection services. There are Councils who have also indicated a timeline for transition to Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO), however the majority of SEQ Councils are not able to provide any guarantees or certainty of the timing of the transition to FOGO.

All organics processing procurement will be led and driven by SEQ Councils only, not through the PMO nor CoMSEQ.

The forecasted Council data is provided as guidance only to industry. 

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