Gold Coast Mayor and ARRC Gold Coast Chair Tom Tate has toured ARRC Organics at Stapylton, gaining a firsthand look at how green waste collected from households is transformed into compost rather than being sent to landfill.
The facility is the first operational site within ARRC’s planned integrated waste and resource recovery precinct and processes green waste through a combination of enclosed in-vessel composting and outdoor maturation.
Tate said the facility demonstrated the value of investing in resource recovery infrastructure that benefits both the environment and ratepayers.
“Instead of sending green waste to landfill, ARRC Organics is already turning it into a valuable resource,” he said.
“It shows what’s possible when we invest in infrastructure that supports a more sustainable future for the Gold Coast.”
Tate also highlighted the important role residents play in the success of the city’s green waste program.
“Our team of 700,000 Gold Coast residents all have a role to play,” he said. “Putting the right material in their green waste bin helps improve the quality of compost we produce and cuts down on contamination in the system.”
Contamination remains a challenge for green waste processing facilities, with a range of inappropriate items continuing to be found in green bins. According to ARRC, contaminants regularly include plastic bags, hoses, garden tools, pet waste, batteries, and vapes.
ARRC Gold Coast Chief Executive Officer Grant Gabriel said community participation was critical to improving outcomes from the city’s organics recovery efforts.
“The cleaner the material that arrives at our facility, the better the outcome for the environment and for ratepayers,” Gabriel said.
“Our team works hard to remove contamination, but the best fix is making sure only appropriate garden waste goes into the green waste bin in the first place.”
He described ARRC Organics as an important foundation project within the organisation’s broader strategy.
“ARRC Organics is an important first step in ARRC’s broader vision to extract greater value from materials that would otherwise be discarded,” Gabriel said.
The facility marks the first operational component of the wider ARRC precinct, which has been designed to increase resource recovery, reduce dependence on landfill, and support the transition to a more circular economy on the Gold Coast.
The development received a further boost earlier this month when ARRC Organics secured $8.6 million in funding from the Queensland Government. The funding will help support plans to double the facility’s processing capacity from its current 60,000 tonnes per annum.
Once expanded, the facility is expected to play an even greater role in diverting organic material from landfill while producing compost for beneficial reuse.
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