Ipswich joins councils to explore new waste management and resource recovery opportunities

18 February 2019

Ipswich City Council has joined four other South East Queensland councils to explore new waste management options, including delivery of waste disposal and resource recovery services.

Ipswich City Council, along with Logan City Council, Redland City Council, Lockyer Valley Regional Council and Somerset Regional Council, are proposing to jointly invite Expressions of Interest (EOI) in the provision of future waste disposal and/or resource recovery services.

The councils have applied to the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for authorisation for the proposed joint procurement, and the ACCC should be commencing its consultation process shortly.

Proposals would be invited for a regional solution, or for solutions which will suit one or more council areas. The proposals could range from small scale through to large scale integrated regional solutions and can be focused on one or more of available waste streams offered by the councils.

Interim Administrator Greg Chemello said Ipswich and neighbouring councils were looking to lead a procurement process which would aim to bring market leaders in waste disposal and resource recovery solutions to the region.

“It is advantageous for council and the Ipswich community to invite EOIs through a coordinated sub-regional partnership approach,” he said.

“This approach will attract significantly more local, national and potentially international interest from the waste and recycling industry, in providing councils with long-term sustainable solutions to meet waste disposal and resource recovery requirements.

“Ipswich is working collaboratively with neighbouring councils in a South East Queensland sub-regional partnership.

“I’m hopeful that the partnership will provide multiple benefits, including more scalable options for waste disposal and resource recovery solutions, shared project management, funding resources and major infrastructure, and a collaborative approach that can optimise and enhance waste management solutions.

Mr Chemello said that even though council is currently considering four development applications for waste management facilities, council is required under the planning laws to deal with each application and it will do so.  The EOI will not interfere with this process.

“Through this joint regional EOI process we are hoping to see the waste management industry respond to the communities’ requirement for sustainable long term waste solutions across the region,” he said.

Works, Parks and Recreation Department Chief Operating Officer, Bryce Hines, welcomed the move.

“We’re looking forward to receiving a wide variety of proposals ranging from a variety of small scale solutions that treat one material stream through to more holistic integrated approaches that can deal with the spectrum of our region’s waste materials,” he said.

All documentation relating to the joint application will be made public and published on the ACCC’s Authorisations Register.

It is expected the EOI will be advertised nationally in late March or early April.

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