North Geelong recycling centre and transfer station to be completely rebuilt
A “once-in-a-generation” overhaul of Geelong’s recycling infrastructure has been announced, as council opts to raze rather than repair a troubled facility.
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Geelong council will raze the aged recovery centre and transfer station in North Geelong and replace it with a modern facility that it says will meet the region’s needs well into the future.
Council closed the Douro St facility in March over safety concerns after structural issues were identified by engineers and it has not reopened since, frustrating many in the community.
A much anticipated update landed on Wednesday, with mayor Stretch Kontelj describing it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to upgrade recycling in the region”.
Having sought expert advice, City Hall determined it was best to invest in a new, purpose-built facility considering fixes to the current structure would be costly and short-term in nature.
“The former Douro St facility was never purpose-built as a recycling centre back in the 1970s,” Mr Kontelj said.
“While plans were already underway for a new centre to replace the Douro St facility as it reached the end of its life, these plans can now be brought forward to build the world-class facility that Greater Geelong deserves.
“This is a big project, and it will take time, but we know it’s absolutely going to be worth it when the new centre opens.”
Council’s latest budget allocated $4.2m over the next two years for “improvement of public safety” at the Douro St site, while $8.3m had been set aside for the establishment of a third resource recovery centre – adding to the North Geelong and Drysdale facilities.
It is unclear whether a third centre will now proceed.
The demolition and subsequent construction at Douro St is expected to take years, however council said it would open a temporary site nearby.
Operated by GDP Industries, the pop-up site will initially accept cardboard, polystyrene, e-waste, gas bottles, and car and truck batteries.
The location and opening date for the temporary facility will be announced closer to the anticipated opening in September.
Elise Wilkinson, chair of council’s environment and circular economy portfolio, said many options had been considered and demolition made the most sense.
“We didn’t want to see short-term fixes that would be costly and create uncertainty for the community,” she said.
“This is about doing this work once and getting it right, ensuring that we have the capabilities for recycling and resource recovery that follow the best international practices as our region grows.”
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