Recycling Gold Coast: Residents claim new centre has made homes ‘unlivable’

Residents neighbouring a new Gold Coast recycling centre say their homes have become “unlivable” since it opened.

RESIDENTS neighbouring a recycling centre in Southport say their homes have become “unlivable” since the facility was approved under state government planning exemptions.

The Southport Bottles & Cans facility, which opened at the old RACQ building on Nerang St in February, was one of the many exchange points approved under the State Government’s Containers for Change scheme.

A drop-off point for thousands of bottles and cans each day, residents near the property claim they have recorded noises of up to 120 decibels since it opened – equivalent to thunder or chainsaws.

Resident Steven Lewis said he was now selling his home of 18 years because of the noise caused by the dropping of bottles into the industrial bins.

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A spokesman for the facility said it was a small business operating within the law and striving to be a “good neighbour”. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

“I am selling up and I am not alone, it is insidious,” Mr Lewis said. “There is noise of crashing glass all day long.”

Mr Lewis, who lives across the busy Nerang St, said he believed it should be treated as an industrial operation under the planning guidelines.

“It has been approved by the State Government under their exemptions with no consideration to anyone else in their area,” he said.

An elderly couple who live behind the site said the lack of consultation was inappropriate.

“Having to endure these conditions ‘til we die is unthinkable,” the unnamed 79-year-old woman said.

“It is the wrong business for the area, I don’t consider it retail – we have to put up with this six days a week.”

They believe the business shouldn’t have been approved in the lot, which is zoned for “community facilities”.

A spokesman for the facility said it was a small business operating within the law and striving to be a “good neighbour”: “We have been working with council in relation to any complaints and are going above and beyond to satisfy.”

It has nine employees made up of the previously unemployed, mothers returning to work or school leavers.

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Cairns residents are embracing the Queensland Government's new Container Refund Scheme. Thousands of glass bottles and aluminum cans are deposited for recycling at this Manunda depot every day. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

Southport MP Rob Molhoek said the decision to open the facility overrode council’s assessment powers.

The property was one of the many approved last year as a “prescribed retail premises” under State Government planning exemptions, which ensured speedy delivery of an exchange program that offers 10 cents per plastic container, aluminium can and other recyclables.

Exemptions passed in November allowed the container refund points to open in selected areas, without having to apply for a material change of use, if in an “existing building”.

This meant no consultation for those near the Nerang St facility before the exchange opened. It operates six days a week from 8am.

Another facility, the Envirobank Recycling depot, operates a mere kilometre away in an industrial estate.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek said the decision to open the facility overrode council’s assessment powers.

“This was done with no regards to the amenity of residents,” he said.

“It is a monumental mess up that was put in place to rush though legislation on the back of the Bill last year.”

Environment Minister Leanne Enoch said the exemptions allowed for impact assessments to be done for each site with more than 300 facilities across Queensland.

“I do acknowledge however, from time to time there will be concerns in relation to the location of these container refund points,” she said.