Joint funding of $11.25 million has been awarded (subject to contract) for three new organic recycling infrastructure projects that will be able to divert up to 275,000 tonnes of Western Australia’s food organics and garden organics (FOGO) waste from landfill each year and convert it into compost and other soil products. Government funding will leverage $54 million of industry investment, with the total combined investment in local processing likely to be more than $65 million.
The projects funded will create at least 146 construction jobs and 98 ongoing positions.
Successful recipients
C-Wise Holdings Pty Ltd will receive $5.75 million to build a new Organic Carbon Recycling Facility in East Keralup (10 km north-east of Mandurah). The $28.61 million facility is designed as modules, each capable of processing 50,000 tonnes of blended inputs annually. The project will allow the processing of an additional 100,000 tonnes of organic waste each year and will support 24 construction jobs and 36 ongoing positions.
Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council will receive $2 million to build a new FOGO processing plant at the Red Hill Waste Management Facility (12 km north-east of Midland) to process organic waste from five regional councils. The $18 million project will take a modular approach to initially process 60,000 tonnes of organic waste each year, supporting 110 construction jobs and 50 ongoing positions. The processing facility will be scaled up over time to provide 100,000 tonnes per annum of processing capacity.
Go Organics will receive $3.5 million to expand its existing facility at Boonanarring (16 km north of Gingin) to support FOGO rollout in the region north of Perth. The $7.42 million project will install enclosed bunker technology and expanded open windrow processing. The project will allow the processing of an additional 75,000 tonnes of organic waste each year and support 12 construction jobs and 12 ongoing positions.
Background
As part of the National Soils Strategy, the Australian Government announced its Food Waste for Healthy Soils (FWHS) Fund. The fund includes $67 million nationally aimed at supporting the diversion of nutrient-rich household and commercial organic waste from landfill to soils by building new or enhancing existing organic waste processing infrastructure.
The FWHS Fund scope aligns with the rollout of the FOGO three-bin system across Perth and Peel local governments by 2025 through the Waste Authority’s Better Bins Plus: Go FOGO program. It addresses industry calls to support increased organics processing infrastructure, particularly north of Perth.
On 9 December 2021, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation called for expressions of interest in this funding. This closed on 19 January 2022.
State Government funds will be matched by the Australian Government.
Media statement
Reusing Western Australia's food waste for improved farming
