New Organics Recycling Facility a step closer

A major step forward has been taken in establishing a Tamworth Organics Recycling Facility with Tamworth Regional Councillors tonight deciding to purchase a 117-hectare property about 20 kilometres from the CBD.

The decision was made after Councillors considered a report in the closed part of the meeting which explained how an environmental assessment of the property found it to be suitable for the facility.

Tamworth Regional Council Acting Mayor Phil Betts said the Organics Recycling Facility is crucial to better manage our community’s waste into the future.

“It will provide our community with a food waste recycling facility for the first time,” he said.

“It will mean we can divert 15,000 tonnes food waste from the Forest Road Landfill – this helps us to extend the life of that facility and is a more sustainable waste solution.”

Earlier in the night, in the open part of the meeting, Councillors received a report on progress in planning the Tamworth Organics Recycling Facility. The project is expected to cost $15.2 million with $3 million in NSW Government funding already secured.

The report explained how the ongoing planning work identified how a more advanced composting process using Enclosed Tunnel Composting would be a benefit because it would provide greater control on environmental aspects such as odour. It is possible to mechanically extract any odourous emissions and while this creates additional set up costs it also has a longer asset life.

Once the purchase of the land is completed, the next phase of the project will be to finalise and lodge a development application. It is expected to take about two years before the facility is up and running.

Council has previously decided that while it will own the facility a contractor will manage and operate it.