Townsville City Council has officially opened the new Magnetic Island Transfer Station.
Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of Townsville, declared the new facility open at a public event on Saturday 10 October, to which local residents were also invited.
The council announced plans for a transfer station in 2006 to allow for removal of waste to the mainland once the Picnic Bay Landfill was full.
The overall project cost $7 million. The project included design, planning and community consultation for this location, the construction and fit-out of the facility, and road widening and upgrade of water and sewerage mains along West Point Road. It was delivered on time and on budget, under strict environmental measures, with more than 90% of the work going to local companies.
The facility includes a green waste collection area, a white goods, batteries and oil recovery area, and a push pit transfer station for waste collection and sorting for transport.
Opening the facility, Cr Hill said: “Magnetic Island is unique. There is no other island in Australia that is a fully serviced suburb of a major city, located within a World heritage area – the Great Barrier Marine Park.
“Today, we see the results of many years of planning – the Magnetic Island Waste Facility – which will cater for the island’s growth for the next 30 years.”
Townsville City Council will continue to dispose of waste at the Picnic Bay landfill until it runs out of space, which is anticipates will be during 2016. Townsville Waste will then undertake extensive capping and remediation of the site as part of a rehabilitation project.
For mor information on the project visit the Townsville City Council website.
Photograph shows Mayor Jenny Hill cutting the ribbon at the site surrounded by Townsville City Council waste services employees and representatives from contractors who contributed to the project.