New Stuart landfill cells to support local jobs

Townsville City Council is set to undertake a major upgrade at the Stuart Waste Facility, securing the city’s landfill capacity for years to come.

The project will see two new landfill cells created over the next 12 months along with a new high efficiency sediment pond at Townsville’s only operational landfill site, to meet environmental requirements for the decades ahead.

Mayor Nick Dametto said the project would ensure ratepayers don’t have to foot the bill for a brand-new landfill site anytime soon.

“As a city we send around 200,000 tonnes of waste to the facility every year, that’s enough rubbish to fill more than 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools,” Cr Dametto said.

“With more than 200,000 residents and over 80,000 properties our team collect 50,000 general waste wheelie bins each week, all of which end up at Stuart and in one of these cells.

“The cost of a new landfill facility is estimated at more than $100 million, which would be a huge expense to ratepayers, so projects like this one that extend the lifespan of our primary landfill are critical.

“If we can continue to also increase our recycling and diversion of recoverable resources from landfill, our Stuart site can last to around 2050.

“As Mayor, I’m committed to leading a council that delivers value for money services - the basics our community expect, and does them well - and that filters down from having the facilities and infrastructure in place to ensure we can do just that.”

Councillor Dametto said Council had awarded the construction contract to local company, Mendi Constructions, with Council committing up to $21 million to the overall project investment, which includes planning, compliance, approvals, quality assurance, project management, and supporting works.

“Not only is this a massive project, but it’s an important one for the future of Townsville, which is why I’m glad Mendi is on board, a local business that has contributed to the growth of our city,” he said.

“A project of this scale is expected to take around 12 months to complete, depending on the wet season, and over that time will support more than 50 local jobs across onsite crews, suppliers, and supporting services.

“Building landfill cells is costly, which is why we need to prioritise recycling and keeping reusable materials out of landfill.

“Strict environmental regulations also drive-up costs, so the longer we can extend the life of our landfill cells, the more we can direct ratepayer funds into other city-shaping projects.”

To learn more about Waste and Recycling in Townsville, visit Waste & Recycling - Townsville City Council.