Noosa Council is working with organic infrastructure specialist OREZ to shape the design of a proposed composting facility at the Noosa Resource Recovery Facility in Doonan.
OREZ has been appointed under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) agreement, to guide the project through concept engineering design and detailed design, to provide Council with a better understanding of costs and flexibility as the project develops.
Mayor Frank Wilkie said the initial work represented a logical next step in Council's resource recovery journey.
"Residents take a lot of care separating their green waste and with the success of our green waste service, which has been in place since 2017, this project allows us to explore even better ways to improve the amounts diverted from landfill," Cr Wilkie said.
"Council approved this initial stage, which will give us a detailed design specifically for the site," Cr Wilkie said.
"This significant project could revolutionise how we handle green waste in Noosa."
If it proceeds, the proposed facility will use enclosed composting technology to process up to 25,000 tonnes of organic waste each year, with capacity to expand in the future.
This type of investment has the potential to reduce the cost of waste levies by diverting waste from landfill. It also extends the life of landfill cells, helping ease the burden on ratepayers by delaying or avoiding the need for expensive new waste disposal cells.
OREZ is completing detailed designs and will present them back to Council. Any future decision to proceed to construction would go before Council.
Cr Wilkie said the final go-ahead is subject to completing the detailed design, securing grant funding and the necessary Council and regulatory approvals.
OREZ CEO Max Bergomi applauded council for adopting the ECI model to ensure the best possible outcome for Council.
"Most of the cost and risk in an organics facility is determined during the design phase," Mr Bergomi said.
"The ECI process provides the time and transparency needed to develop a practical, efficient design and reduce delivery risks before construction decisions are made."
Council's Waste Services Manager Kyrone Dodd said the proposed project forms part of Council's broader resource recovery strategy, reflecting Noosa's ongoing commitment to sustainable waste management.
"The project would build on Council's long-standing organics collection service by exploring opportunities to process waste locally into a certified compost product for use in agriculture, landscaping and parks," he said.
