Gold Coast City Council Waste Network Review

Since 2003, GHD has assisted Gold Coast City Council to strategically review waste infrastructure provided by the city. This primarily includes landfills and transfer stations as well as a small number of rural bin stations, but has also considered issues associated with kerbside collection services and the concept of user-pay. At the commencement of the project the waste network included five landfills, 11 transfer stations and three rural bin stations servicing a population of approximately 500,000 people.

Initially the project involved a critical review of existing waste infrastructure by taking a triple bottom line approach, i.e. considering economic, environmental and social factors. The outcome of this assessment, prepared in conjunction with council officers, was a timeline for rationalisation and upgrades to the network. From this timeline, a year-by-year budget estimate was developed  based on individual recommendations and capital and operating costs.

The recommendations ranged from expansion of kerbside waste collection services through to landfill closures and extensions, as well as closure and/or upgrades of specific transfer stations. In recommending upgrades and closures, close attention was paid to the impacts on nearby facilities in terms of ensuring sufficient operational capacity was available to handle additional customers from the sites earmarked for closure.

More recently GHD, has reviewed Council’s progress in regards to the implementation of the recommendations. In 2007, it prepared a revised waste network review that takes into account progress since 2003 and changes in Council priorities and policy direction. This was used to develop an updated timeline and budget estimate through to 2020.