The mayors of Onkaparinga, Marion and Holdfast Bay with SRWRA CEO Chris Adams, breaking ground at the site in 2020.

Published on 19 May 2021

Another $3.14 million for southern recycling facility

Household recycling in the south received a further boost yesterday, with the federal and state government announcing a further $3.14 million funding boost to Seaford Heights' Southern Material Recycling Facility (SMRF).

The news comes just seven weeks after Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the Southern Region Waste Resource Authority (SRWRA) site to announce $5.35 million in funding for the state-of-the-art facility.

The site is a joint initiative of SRWRA – a subsidiary of Onkaparinga, Marion and Holdfast Bay councils – and Re.Group, an Australian recycling and resource recovery specialist.

The best-practice SMRF will process at least 31,000 tonnes annually of ‘yellow bin’ recyclables and, thanks to the $5.35 million Australian Government funding through the Community Development Grant Programme, it has the capacity to handle more than 60,000 tonnes.

Yesterday’s $3.14 million joint South Australian and Australian Government funding announcement is via the Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF), and it will help install additional innovative optical and robotic sorting systems to further improve the quality of recovered materials.

City of Onkaparinga Mayor Erin Thompson said she was thrilled the federal and state governments had joined forces to provide the additional funds and bring council’s vision for a recycling circular economy to life.

“This is on top of the $5.35m previous provided by the federal government for this project, and combined the funding now covers a third of our total project budget,” she said.

“This funding means we will soon have a facility that can process 31,000 of yellow bin recyclables for our partner councils – Onkaparinga, Holdfast and Marion.

“We will also have the potential to increase to 60,000 tonnes to service other regional councils and commercial businesses from the surrounding area.

“This facility will solve many of the recycling challenges we’ve been facing in recent years, while delivering benefits to our ratepayers and the environment.

“This project is a great example of local government working together to tackle a big issue, develop a solution and successfully demonstrate the benefits to state and federal government to secure their support.

“Our recycling future depended on this solution, and through collaboration we’ve been able to deliver an amazing outcome.

“I want to thank the team at SRWRA, Re.Group, our partner councils and the state and federal governments for turning a great idea into an outstanding reality.”

Federal Minister for Environment Sussan Ley said the eight new projects being funded through the joint Recycling Modernisation Fund are expected to create more than 500 jobs and will divert over 205,000 tonnes of waste resources back into the manufacturing of valuable new Australian made products.

“These kinds of high-tech projects build the infrastructure that will power the circular economy in Australia, improving our ability to process our own waste and creating local jobs,” Minister Ley said.

“By mid-2024 when Australia’s full waste export ban comes into effect, Australia will need to recycle 378,000 tonnes of mixed waste paper and cardboard each year – the same weight as a quarter of a million cars.

“Taking responsibility for our waste means meeting this challenge, and that is why the Morrison Government is driving a $1 billion transformation of our waste and recycling industry, including $190 million for a Recycling Modernisation Fund that will leverage over $600 million in total investment to turbocharge our waste and recycling industry’s infrastructure.”

South Australian Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the Marshall Liberal Government is proud to work closely with the Morrison Government to deliver the most significant investment in South Australia’s recycling industry ever seen to build key infrastructure projects and create up to 500 jobs across the state.

“The eight projects, which are worth $111 million, will transform waste management in South Australia and improve our ability to process plastic, glass, paper, cardboard and tyres within the state,” Minister Speirs said.

“They will reinforce South Australia’s position as a national leader when it comes to waste management.”

 

SOUTHERN RECYCLING PLANS

The mayors of Onkaparinga, Marion and Holdfast Bay with SRWRA CEO Chris Adams, breaking ground at the site in 2020.