Townsville City Council has awarded the tender for the Hervey Range Front End Resource Recovery Facility to local company A. Gabrielli Constructions.
The Resource Recovery Facility – which is a significant upgrade of the existing infrastructure – will recycle items people have traditionally thrown out and the project will support 20 local jobs.
Old bikes, furniture, cutlery, corrugated iron and gates could be reused – and batteries, cardboard and metal will be recycled.
The Facility will reduce landfill and supply stock for a second-hand store at the Hervey Range Transfer Station.
There is a shop on site but the contract is coming to a close and Council is looking to upgrade the infrastructure at the site.
Council will release a request for tenders to run the store over the coming months.
Council staff will help the public identify what waste is recyclable and help them sort their rubbish into different categories.
Townsville Water and Waste Committee Chair Cr Russ Cook said the project will create local jobs.
"We have backed a local company to develop the Hervey Range Front End Resource Recovery Facility – the construction will support 20 jobs
and it will generate more jobs in the community," Cr Cook said.
"The sales shop will need staff and the reused products could be bought by other stores and create more employment opportunities."
Cr Cook said the Facility will change the way people view the dump.
"At the moment people unload their rubbish at Hervey Range and it goes into the compactor," Cr Cook said.
"Moving forward Council workers will help people decide what items can be recycled or reused.
"A bike or chair could be cleaned up and sold in the on-site shop."
Division 1 Councillor Margie Ryder said the facility will help ratepayers and the environment.
"We want to encourage people to give back to the community – instead of paying to dump a bike they can leave it at the site for someone else to buy," Cr Ryder said.
"The facility will also help us reduce landfill and transfer costs – Council has to transport any compacted rubbish from Hervey Range to Stuart Waste Facility."
Construction of the Hervey Range Front End Resource Recovery Facility is expected to start next month and the Facility will open late this year.
The Hervey Range Transfer Station will have new operating hours from April 17.
The site will be open from 7am to 5pm 7 days a week.
