Tottenham resource recovery and container deposit scheme project

Challenge

In February 2020, the Victorian Government announced the introduction of a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) to be rolled out across the State in 2023 through a competitive tender process.

The scheme will encourage consumers to return empty containers at dedicated collection points for a refund of 10 cents. A variety of collection points will be available across Victoria at shops, reverse vending machines, depots, pop-ups and drop-off points run by recyclers, small business and charity groups, and sports clubs.

Within 12 months of the scheme starting, the network operators will be required to have a minimum of one collection point per 14,500 people in metropolitan areas, at least one per town of 750 people in regional areas, and at least one per town of 350 people in remote areas.

Cleanaway were awarded the contract for collection of containers from Zone 4 (Metropolitan West) and a portion of Regional Zone 1 (Barwon South-West and Grampians). Prior to the 1 November 2023 CDS launch in Victoria, Cleanaway were required to lodge an application to the Victorian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for a Development Licence for the construction and commissioning of the CDS at Tottenham. SLR were consequently awarded the contract to prepare the Development Licence Application for one of the first CDS facilities in Victoria.

Solution

As part of the initial support for the Development Licence Application, our team carried out a project data review and data gap analysis for the preparation and/or collation of documentation as per requirements under the EP Act 2017 for a development licence application. This included a review of proposed activity to identify specialist studies that may be required to support the development licence application and preparation of these supporting technical assessments.

Our team also carried out an integrated project engineering design, stakeholder, planning & environment workshop, drafted the EPA Development Licence Application (with supporting technical assessments, being air quality, greenhouse and climate change, noise and vibration, surface water and waste management, and land contamination), as well as a General Environmental Duty (GED) Assessment and Integrated Environmental Risk Assessment.

Following these activities, Cleanaway was advised by the Victorian EPA that a Development Licence Exemption Application can be prepared and submitted for the proposed ‘early-works’ associated with the CDS. Our team was then able to further support Cleanaway by preparing the draft and final EPA Development License Exemption Application, which included a meeting with the regulator and relevant environmental risk assessments.

Impact

This is one of the first CDS Projects in metropolitan Melbourne that is contributing to the Victorian Government’s new regulatory push for the recycling scheme in Victoria. Our team was able to support Cleanaway throughout the license application process, which has resulted in the project successfully obtaining the license to construct and commission.

The CDS is now up and running, successfully contributing to the aim of creating a circular economy, keeping products and resources at their highest utility and value for as long as possible, minimising the generation of waste.