New Cooma Compost Facility

Project Type: New Build

Project Location: Adjacent Cooma Landfill

Funding: Actively seeking grant funding to deliver the Cooma Compost Facility

Cooma Compost timeline 2.png

What are we doing?

Council are planning to slightly relocate our composting operations to a new, purpose built facility to the east of the landfill site.

This will enable us to roll out a Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) bin collection service to all residents that currently receive a curbside waste collection service throughout the region.

The new composting facility will allow Council to process FOGO from the entire Local Government Area (LGA) as required under the NSW EPA’s FOGO 2030 Mandate.

Latest Update

Council have submitted a development application (DA) for the new facility, which will go to a Council Meeting for review, comment, or approval by the Councillors in July or August 2024. Following this, if approval is granted, a tender process will be held to produce a detailed design package of documents for Council to go to construction tender with.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the project being funded?

The community education campaign and a large portion of the design costs are funded by the NSW EPA’s Go FOGO Round 1 grant. Council is actively seeking grants for construction delivery.

 

What are the annual costs and potential revenue of the facility?

This will depend on our operating model, which may be determined by any grant funding we succeed in receiving. Council is looking into partnering with commercial operators to reduce Council’s financial burden and to ensure the best outcome is achieved for residents. Any partnership would require Council to go to tender and for this reason commercial/financial information regarding operational costs and revenue must be kept confidential until post-tender.

 

Is the location of the facility on endangered habitat?

No. Two surveys were carried out 12 months apart to identify any native and/or threatened species while also assessing habitat suitability. The location for the compost facility was selected on the basis that it is almost entirely within low quality habitat for any nearby conservation-status species. Furthermore, by carrying out studies years apart the independent ecology consultant was able to assess any change is species dispersion over time. No change was noted, thus further exemplifying the suitability of this location.

 

Will the new facility impede on use or access to the nearby rifle range?

No. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted with the DA stated that new composting facility will comply with all the same hours of operation constraints as Cooma Landfill to ensure no impediment to the existing rifle range.

 

Will the new facility impede on the landfill operations or impact public access to any waste disposal services?

No. The new composting facility will be located adjacent and to the east of the landfill. Access to the composting facility will be signposted through the landfill. Residents will not experience any interruption to their waste collection or drop off services during the construction or operations of the new compost facility.