The Queensland Government has announced a $28 million waste infrastructure grants program aimed at assisting businesses, industry and local government bodies adopt innovate resource recovery and recycling options.

 

“Grants of up to $5 million will be available for successful applicants to improve sorting and recovery processes,” State Environment Vicky Darling said.

 

“This Waste Infrastructure Grant program will help business, industry and local government improve sorting and recovery processes, creating local jobs and cost-effective methods to divert millions of tonnes of waste away from landfill.”

 

The four-year program is specifically designed to assist the purchase of crucial equipment, such as shredders, crushers and balers to improve, upgrade or construct new facilities.

 

Ms Darling said the grants would match - dollar for dollar up to $5 million - money invested by successful applicants in increasing their organisation’s recycling rates.

 

“The money will fund the purchase of equipment to reduce levels of waste production and divert materials from landfill, leading to more materials being recovered, reused, recycled and reprocessed,” she said.

 

“The grants will boost investment in fixed or mobile infrastructure that directly assists transfer stations, materials recovery facilities and recycling centres to improve sorting and recovery processes, create jobs and cost effectively diverts new tonnes of waste from landfill.

 

“The program will help fill immediate gaps in regional areas that require waste infrastructure, support efficient waste and recycling industries and associated jobs and increase recovery of priority materials such as tyres, organics and construction and demolition wastes.”

 

Further information about the waste reforms can be found at www.derm.qld.gov.au/waste