Tenterfield Shire Council, New South Wales (NSW), has put together a proposal to deal with its ongoing waste problem by converting waste into energy at a local scale.
Initially Council is seeking support from all levels of government and government agencies to provide seed funding for the completion of a feasibility study to determine if such a project is economical, practical and achievable.
A conglomerate of 18 Councils in two States, two Territories and an Island, together with Regional Development Australia-Northern Inland have been asked to assist with funding.
Initial support was sought from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) who have expressed in principle support and the availability of grant funding to enlist the expertise to conduct the research and compile the feasibility study.
Local Federal and State Members, The Hon Barnaby Joyce MP and The Hon Thomas George MP, together with the State Member for Northern Tablelands, The Hon Adam Marshall MP have also indicated in principle support.
The proposal has also gained considerable impetus through the newly formed New England Joint Organisation (NEJO), comprising the Councils of Tenterfield, Armidale, Moree Plains, Glen Innes Severn, Uralla and Narrabri.
Chief Executive Officer, Terry Dodds, said, “Currently waste to energy facilities operate on a large scale and have done for many years in European and Asian countries.
“Should the project prove viable, this could be the first time that similar technology is put into practice in Australia on a small scale.”
Tenterfield Mayor, Peter Petty presented Council’s waste to energy proposal to the NSW Country Mayors’ Association in Sydney recently and received unanimous support from the 80 Mayors present, along with an invitation for Mr Dodds to address the next meeting in August 2018.
Mayor Petty said, “As well as assisting with the waste problem, the facility would feed power into the grid, which in turn could provide councils with a new income stream to assist with addressing some of their critical infrastructure issues by helping to offset our waste management costs.”
