Tamworth Regional Council's plans for an Organic Recycling Facility have been boosted off the back of a $3 million grant, while a "preferred site" has also been located.
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The Environmental Protection Authority awarded the grant through the Waste Less, Recycle More, designed to reduce the amount of organic waste in landfill.
Late last year plans for a $5 million facility stalled after the proposed site, adjacent the airport, was deemed unsuitable, however a new site has been selected on "the western side of the city."
Unfortunately council have had to forfeit a $1.35 million grant awarded for the failed proposal, and have also had to look at alternate technologies, settling on Tunnel composting according to Water and Waste operations manager Dan Coe.
"Essentially we will be putting the waste inside concrete bunkers because we are looking at a smaller site closer to town," he said.
"That will reduce and contain odour, but also allow for quicker processing, however it will be more expensive than the original $5 million facility."
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Mr Coe is expecting a final proposal to go before council in April, and has tabled a two year timeframe to be operational.
Each year Tamworth Council takes 100,000 tonne of waste through the gates at the Forest Road Waste Facility.
As it stands 50 per cent of that waste is diverted away from landfill through recycling, and the current green waste composting system, however the proposed Organics Facility is hoped to increase that figure to 70 per cent.
"Food scraps account for 30 per cent of all waste in red bins in Tamworth," Mr Coe said.
"If we can start taking that in the green bins and composting it we will take 6000 tonne a year out of landfill.
"We also take 6000 tonne of offal from the abattoirs, and 2000 tonnes of grease trap waste that can also be composted - so immediately we will take 14,000 tonne out of landfill."
The current green waste plant takes in 12,000 tonne a year, and is running at absolute capacity, while the new site will be able to handle 32,000 tonne a year.
The new facility will also produce a variety of grades of compost which will be both sold to the agricultural industry, used by council, and sold back to the community.
