Shoalhaven Resource Recovery Facility (RRF)

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Advanced Recycling Technology for the Shoalhaven

The Shoalhaven is running out of landfill space. Within 10 years our West Nowra landfill facility will reach capacity.

As a result, Shoalhaven City Council has undergone an extensive process of consulting with industry experts to find an economically and environmentally sound solution to a waste problem that faces local governments across Australia.

A project to deliver a state-of-the-art facility capable of diverting over 90% of mixed waste from landfill was initiated with Bioelektra Australia and construction started early 2022. Under the agreement, Bioelektra Australia would construct and operate the facility.

On 15 June 2023, Council was notified that the creditors of Bioelektra Australia Pty Ltd placed the company into liquidation. Council is currently working through the legal process as part of its ongoing due diligence in respect to this project.

Waste processing is continuing as usual with no disruption to kerbside collection services or waste management across the Shoalhaven LGA.

Want to find out more?

Further information on this project is provided via the:

Check out the News Feed below for the latest project update.

To stay across the latest news, subscribe for project updates via the 'Stay Informed' button located on this page. Project subscribers will receive email notifications as the project progresses.

Advanced Recycling Technology for the Shoalhaven

The Shoalhaven is running out of landfill space. Within 10 years our West Nowra landfill facility will reach capacity.

As a result, Shoalhaven City Council has undergone an extensive process of consulting with industry experts to find an economically and environmentally sound solution to a waste problem that faces local governments across Australia.

A project to deliver a state-of-the-art facility capable of diverting over 90% of mixed waste from landfill was initiated with Bioelektra Australia and construction started early 2022. Under the agreement, Bioelektra Australia would construct and operate the facility.

On 15 June 2023, Council was notified that the creditors of Bioelektra Australia Pty Ltd placed the company into liquidation. Council is currently working through the legal process as part of its ongoing due diligence in respect to this project.

Waste processing is continuing as usual with no disruption to kerbside collection services or waste management across the Shoalhaven LGA.

Want to find out more?

Further information on this project is provided via the:

Check out the News Feed below for the latest project update.

To stay across the latest news, subscribe for project updates via the 'Stay Informed' button located on this page. Project subscribers will receive email notifications as the project progresses.

  • Resource Recovery Facility project update

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    On 15 June 2023, Council was advised that the creditors of Bioelektra Australia Pty Limited had placed the company in liquidation. Mr Trent Devine of Jirsch Sutherland is the liquidator.

    Council will now give consideration to the options available to it for the delivery of the resource recovery facility.

    Waste processing is continuing as usual with no disruption to kerbside collection services or waste management across the Shoalhaven LGA.

    Council is continuing to work through the commercial, contractual and operational issues relating to the liquidation of Bioelektra Australia during the coming weeks to ensure the optimal outcome is achieved for ratepayers.

    A further update will be provided once Council is in a position to do so in the coming months.

  • Works Update

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    The principal contractor to Bioelektra Australia, EQ Constructions, has advised they are no longer available to complete Stage 1 Works at the West Nowra site.

    This development has Bioelektra Australia re-tendering to finish the Stage 1 construction works, which are largely complete.

    Bioelektra Australia’ s Managing Director, Fred Itaoui, released the following statement:

    “The construction works at our West Nowra Resource Recovery Facility are currently at a standstill due to the collapse of the builder EQ Constructions. Bioelektra Australia has put out a tender to appoint another builder to complete the construction works of the facility. This unfortunate event has regrettably hindered the construction programme by at least 3 months.”

    Once the new contractors are appointed, Council looks forward to watching this exciting development take shape.

  • Stage 1 works well underway

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    Stage 1 works for the new Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) include demolition, clearing, levelling, installation of subbase, construction of sediment control ponds, fencing, retaining wall and carpark. These works have been significantly affected by the excessively wet weather throughout 2022. At the start of 2023 an estimated 85% of the stage 1 works is complete, with the retaining wall and car park to be constructed over the next 2 months.

    Stage 2 works include the foundations, building, ancillary roadworks, weighbridges, drainage, services and installation of the processing equipment. Stage 2 works will commence in April 2023. We anticipate seeing the building coming out of the ground by mid-year.

  • Construction Commences

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    The future of waste management has arrived! Council celebrates the commencement of works to construct the new Resource Recovery Facility (RRF).

    The Shoalhaven landfill is fast approaching capacity. Council proactively undertook an extensive process of consulting with industry experts to find an economically and environmentally sound solution to reduce the need for landfill. This Australia first technology is expected to extend the life of the West Nowra landfill for another 50 years.

    Bioelektra Australia has received development consent for the Resource Recovery Facility from NSW Planning. The facility will use advanced processes to recover and recycle as much household waste from the red bin as possible. Construction of the facility has now commenced.

    This system is far superior to any other currently operating in Australia.

    The RRF will be funded, built and operated by Bioelektra Australia and aims to be fully operational by late 2023. It will provide around 200 jobs during the construction phase and ongoing job opportunities for over 30 people.

  • Bioelektra Australia Stage 2

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    Bioelektra Australia Stage 2 approval was granted on 23 December 2021.

    Please refer to the NSW State Government Department of Planning website for details.

  • Response to Submissions Report to DPIE

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    Bioelektra Australia have prepared a Response to Submissions which will be provided to DPIE this week. The response will also be provided to stakeholders to confirm that their concerns have been addressed, prior to issuing any approvals and finalising the approval conditions.

    Council is comfortable with the way the process is progressing and the responses to technical matters related to the development by Bioelektra Australia and expects that appropriate Consent Conditions will be available in September 2021.

    In preparation for the consent approval, Bioelektra Australia have advertised tenders for the construction of the building.

    Once consent is received, Bioelektra Australia and Council will be in a position to publicly discuss the project construction and commencement timetable.

  • West Nowra RRF Stage 2 - Project Update

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    Concept approval for the West Nowra Waste Facility (under SSD 7105) was granted by the NSW Government in August 2016. The Stage 2 Development Application is a State Significant Development (SSD) and is currently under assessment by the Department of Planning.

    The public exhibition period has been completed with 11 submissions received from the public, organisations and public authorities.

    WaterNSW, the Biodiversity and Conservation Division of DPIE, Roads and Maritime Service, Transport for NSW, Crown Lands, Heritage NSW, and the public submission support the development as drafted.

    Fire and Rescue NSW, Shoalhaven City Council, Environmental Protection Authority and Endeavour Energy either asked for additional information or provided recommendations on specific conditions to incorporate in the final approval.

    The results of these submissions are summarised in a DPIE letter to Bioelektra Australia dated 22 July 2021.

    Bioelektra Australia continue to provide responses to technical matters related to the development to enable DPIE to finalise Consent Conditions in September 2021.

  • West Nowra RRF Stage 2 - Public Exhibition

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    Construction and operation of stage 2 of the West Nowra Resource Recovery Park, comprising a resource recovery facility for treatment of up to 130,000 tonnes per year of mixed municipal waste.

    The application for State significant development (SSD), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and accompanying documents were on public exhibition until Monday, 12 July 2021.

    For more information, including accessing the documents and *making a submission, please visit the Department of Planning and Environment website.

    *You may need to create an account.

  • An Australian First in Waste Management

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    22 January 2019

    Shoalhaven City Council is entering into a long-term contract with  Bioelektra Australia Pty Ltd to build and operate a new waste processing facility that uses state of the art technology to provide an environmentally sound solution to a landfill problem that all local governments in Australia face.

    The new Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) will be constructed on Council owned land adjacent to the current West Nowra Landfill site. Works will commence in 2020 and the facility is expected to be fully operational by late 2022.

    At the October 2018 Ordinary Meeting, Council resolved unanimously to adopt the new technology which will be an Australian first in waste management.

    The Shoalhaven, much like other council areas are running out of landfill space and in 12 years time it is predicted we will reach capacity at our West Nowra Landfill Facility.

    The new facility will be a giant leap forward for how Shoalhaven manages waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

    This state-of-the-art facility will be Australia’s first Advanced Treatment plant capable of diverting 90 per cent of mixed waste from the landfill. Everything that can be reused or recycled will be extracted in one process.

    For Shoalhaven residents, this will mean no change in the way that they manage their own household waste.

    The introduction of this new facility is projected to extend the landfill life of the Shoalhaven to more than 50 years.

Page last updated: 29 Jun 2023, 12:18 PM