Three South East Queensland Councils have formed an alliance to push the business case for a new regional recycling facility.

Logan, Ipswich and Redland City councils formed the SEQ Sub-Regional Waste Alliance in 2019 in response to changes in waste management practices.

These included the introduction China’s National Sword policy in 2018 with which banned the import of plastics and other waste.

In a 2019 application for authorisation to the ACCC dated February 2019 the councils said they had formed an unincorporated regional alliance to “collaboratively identify and source medium to long term resource recovery services on a regional scale”.

They launched an EOI campaign to test the market for waste disposal and resource discovery solutions and in June resolved to forge ahead with plans for the new joint facility.

The alliance has now put in a joint funding application to the Queensland Recycling Modernisation Fund for a facility to recycle waste from all three councils.

Economies of scale

Ispswich Mayor Teresa Harding has called on the state and federal governments to help the alliance deliver what she says is an important project for the region.

“We have a shared goal within this alliance to build a material recovery faccility and create a new, collaborative approach to recycling and waste management that will bring numerous benefits to our communities,” she said.

City of Logan Mayor Darren Power said partnering with other councils makes sense economically and environmentally.

“I know our community wants a cleaner, greener environment and we are delighted to be working with neighbouring councils to explore new and more efficient ways to recycle,” he said.

Redland mayor Karen Williams said working with other councils would ensure economies of scale.

“We now have the opportunity to work with other South East Queensland councils to explore opportunities for shared resource recovery infrastructure and programs,” she said.

The location of the proposed facility is yet to be determined but the councils hope to have it operating in three years.