A huge $16.57 million project planned for Byron Bay is a major step closer

“It belongs here”: Mayor enthusiastic about what the facility, which would be the first of its kind in Australia, would mean for the region.

Plans for a $16.57 million bioenergy plant for Byron Bay have been made public.

Byron Shire Council has proposed the facility for an area beside the Byron Bay Sewage Treatment Plant on Wallum Place.

A development application for the proposal was lodged this week, detailing more about the huge project which the council first unveiled details of in October 2020.

According to the council’s documents, 30 jobs would be created through the construction of the facility.

The facility, proposed to operate 7am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, would process green waste and sewage biosolids from the treatment plans as well as grease trap waste from commercial kitchens.

The shire currently transports its green waste to Queensland.

The proposed construction would mean the council would produce biogas for electricity generation, while allowing compose by-products to stay in the shire.

Mayor Michael Lyon said the facility, which would be a first for Australia, would be huge for the Byron Shire and for the country.

He said he believed other areas were considering similar facilities but Byron has been “winning the race”.

“Staff that have been working on this for a number of years now are thrilled it’s gotten to this point now,” Mr Lyon said.

“I’m very excited and proud to be part of a council which is bringing such a green project to our shire.

“It belongs here.

“We’ve always been, for the last 20 years, green in name but we’re also not starting to put some projects on the ground, big projects.”

While there’s a big price tag on the project, Mr Lyon said it would stack up well financially and there are good prospects of funding support.

“We are in discussions with possible funding bodies and grant schemes that (may) chip in for a large amount of the cost,” he said.

He said the business case for the project involves charging at least one neighbouring council to offload their green waste at the facility.

“There is the capability to take other shires’ waste,” he said.

Mr Lyon said the project would mean about 10 extra truck movements a day on Ewingsdale Road, but compared to transporting organic waste to Queensland, it’s an improvement on mileage.

While the council election is less than two months away, Mr Lyon said he was confident whatever its makeup, the next council would continue to support the project.

“I think it will be supported; most candidates running in this election care about the environment,” he said.

The council’s proposal seeks a variation to the building height limit in the vicinity; the facility would be 13.57m tall instead of the permitted 9m.

In documents lodged with the DA, the council’s staff have said this variation would be justified.

“The proposed (facility) needs to be this height to be fit for purpose,” they said.

Other buildings within the existing sewage treatment plant are up to 15.5m tall.

They said the proposed building would have “no impact on views from critical vantage points” and would not impact on neighbouring properties.

The facility would supply electricity to the sewage treatment plant.

The DA will ultimately go before the Northern Regional Planning Panel and was expected to be placed on public exhibition soon.