- More than $3.7 millionallocatedto 16 regional and remote local government recycling infrastructure projects
- Joint Albanese and Cook Government investment supporting plastics, tyres,paperand cardboard recovery
- Projects will improve waste sorting,recyclingand resource recovery across regional Western Australia
Sixteen regional and remote local governments across Western Australia will share more than $3.7 million in Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) grants to improve local recycling infrastructure and resource recovery capability:
- City of Albany received $220,640 to expand regional waste processing infrastructure for the collection of cardboard, plastic and expanded polystyrene at the Hanrahan Road Waste Facility;
- City of Greater Geraldton received $117,000 to double the capacity of the cardboard storage facility by upgrading the Meru Waste Disposal Facility's transfer station;
- Shire of Broome received $114,330 to build infrastructure upgrades to strengthen plastic collection, recovery, storage and transport efficiency at the Broome Waste Management Facility;
- Shire of Derby / West Kimberley received $576,308 to upgrade Steel Street, the sole access road servicing the Derby Waste Management Facility to an all-weather standard to ensure uninterrupted year-round access;
- Shire of Dowerin received $521,664 to construct nine transfer stations in the Shires of Dowerin, Trayning, Mukinbudin, Wyalkatchem, Mount Marshall, Nungarin and Koorda;
- Shire of East Pilbara received $333,135 to establish dedicated cardboard baling infrastructure at the Newman Waste Management Facility;
- Shire of Esperance received $323,385 to install a cardboard shredder to enable oversized cardboard to be processed through the Material Recovery Facility at the Wylie Bay Waste Facility;
- Shire of Gnowangerup received $190,700 to establish a purpose-built recycling collection and transfer facility at the Pallinup landfill site, supported by recycling bulk-bin infrastructure across the Shire's three landfill sites;
- Shire of Manjimup received $144,000 to install a suite of receival mechanisms at the four waste transfer facilities in Manjimup, Pemberton, Northcliffe and Walpole to increase input volumes of tyres, cardboard and plastics;
- Shire of Nannup received $73,740 to upgrade recycling infrastructure at the Nannup Waste Management Facility to increase material recovery;
- Shire of Perenjori received $76,226 to construct a local community Recycling Collection Point for the disposal of materials including cardboard/paper and plastic bottles;
- Shire of Pingelly received $142,333 to establish a cardboard waste processing facility at the Shire's waste management site;
- Shire of Plantagenet received $348,258 to construct a purpose-built Recycling Hub at the Mount Barker Waste Management Facility;
- Shire of Tammin received $192,158 to upgrade infrastructure at its Municipal Waste Facility for the purposes of collecting and recycling plastic and cardboard;
- Shire of Victoria Plains received $268,460 to expand the transfer stations in Calingiri and Bolgart; and
- Shire of York received $75,000 to establish the 'Drop & Roll Tyre Program' to provide residents with a place to dispose of their end-of-life tyres.
The funding is jointly provided by the Albanese and Cook Governments through the RMF, a national initiative designed to improve Australia's recycling infrastructure and support the transition to a more circular economy.
The funding will support projects that improve the collection, sorting,storageand recycling of materialsimpactedby Australia's waste export bans, including plastics, paper and cardboard, and whole used tyres.
The funding round focused specifically on regional and remote local government authorities, recognising the unique waste management and transport challenges faced by many communities across Western Australia.
Projects funded through the program include upgrades to waste transfer stations, recycling infrastructure, waste handlingequipmentand access improvements to support more efficient and reliable operations.
The RMF has already supported14 recycling infrastructure projects across Western Australia, increasing the State's recycling capacity by 237,700 tonnes each year and strengthening local resource recovery markets.
The projects are expected be completed and operational by 30 June 2027.
As stated by Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt:
"The Albanese Government is continuing to work with states and territories to improve Australia's recycling infrastructure so that we keep materials circulating in our economy for as long as possible.
"These projects will help regional and remote Western Australian communities recover more valuable materials, reduce waste tolandfilland improve local recycling capability.
"The Recycling Modernisation Fund is supporting practical, locally driven solutions that create jobs, strengthen communities and deliver environmental benefits."
Comments attributed to Western Australian Minister for the Environment Matthew Swinbourn:
"Regional and remote communities face unique waste management challenges, and this funding will help local governments deliver practical recycling and resource recovery improvements tailored to local needs.
"These projects will strengthen regional recycling infrastructure, reduce landfilldisposaland support Western Australia's transition towards a more circular economy.
"The Cook Labor Government is committed to investing in the infrastructure needed to improve resource recovery outcomes across the State and support more sustainable waste management practices."
