New complex to house MRF

A new, larger and purpose built complex to house Council’s new Material Recovery Facility will expand services and allow for local recycling to continue uninterrupted during the MRF’s construction.

Council today approved construction of the $7.6 million complex, which will be about 30 per cent larger than the existing facility.

The new complex will include a processing floor of 2450sq m, as well as an education room and walkways.

A new facility, rather than retrofitting and adapting the existing one, will allow recycling will continue at the current MRF during construction of the new facility.

This will mitigate significant additional costs that would have been associated with transporting material south for processing, and also alleviates the loss of revenue from the Container Refund Scheme and sale of commodities.

Currently, kerbside recyclables from the Cairns Regional Council, as well as Douglas, Mareeba and Cook shires are delivered to the Cairns MRF, which processes about 13,300 tonnes per annum and achieves a diversion from landfill rate of 50 per cent.

The new MRF, set to be completed by the end of September 2020, is expected to have a diversion rate of 85 per cent and meet a potential processing increase to 25,000 tonnes per annum.

KEIR Qld Pty Ltd was awarded the $6 million contract for the construction the complex.