Rockhampton Regional Council, Qld
Population: 81,968
The Central Queensland city of Rockhampton lies on the Tropic of Capricorn and is located just over 600km north of the state capital, Brisbane.
In 2022, the Rockhampton Regional Council issued a Circular Economy Discussion Paper which explored high-level opportunities across significant industries such as agriculture, energy and civil construction. In 2023, the council published its Resource Recovery Strategy: Building a Circular Economy with a target of zero waste by 2040, highlighting its circular economy principles, along with an accompanying framework and opportunity analysis. Further, the council has included in its Operational Plan 2023 – 2024 a strategy to implement feasibility studies to move forward its circular journey, investigating capital and operational costs, economic outcomes and action plans.
There are several circular economy programs operating in the Rockhampton region. For example, the Hyacinth Recovery Pilot Project aims to remove 500 tonnes of water hyacinth from Murray Lagoon near Rockhampton. It is estimated the invasive weed deposits 1000 tonnes of organic nitrogen onto the Great Barrier Reef annually, and clogs local waterways. The water hyacinth will be made into a compost for improving soil nutrition at parks and farms in the region. The project is exploring an innovative way to deliver cost-effective and efficient solutions for environmental problems, providing an opportunity for the agricultural sector.
The Containers for Change program also operates in the region, encouraging people to donate eligible containers which are then recycled and made into more containers, as well as road base, bicycles and prosthetics. While Containers for Change collects and facilitates the recycling of these containers, Kriaris Recyclables Processing owns and operates the glass processing plant, using glass from the program. This collaboration contributes to civil construction, breaking down glass containers into sand for different road products.
Circular economy drivers
The drivers for the development of a circular economy in the region are waste minimisation, resource recovery and capacity building. Another driver, noted by Rockhampton Regional Council, is the desire to develop a competitive advantage in relation to land and water resources. The council aims to support the continued development and efficiency of the region’s beef industry by better utilising water resources. Further, circular economy practices have been embedded in the council’s sustainability strategy and there is a desire to minimise waste locally, as demonstrated in its goal to produce zero landfill by 2040.
The Rockhampton Regional Council also aspires to be a leader in circular economy practices and is seeking out innovative opportunities and partnerships, including private-public.
Benefits and challenges
There are both economic opportunities and environmental benefits to developing a circular economy in the Rockhampton region, including the construction of new infrastructure and the development of new businesses. The local agricultural and food production sector could also benefit from the introduction of circular practices, as more sustainable production practices often lead to a premium on products.
However, the council has encountered challenges and barriers on its path towards circularity, especially around accessing information, funding and obtaining relevant approvals relating to the use of new materials and technologies.
Interviewees noted difficulty in accessing information from various state government departments; sourcing and aligning resources with other agricultural and energy projects in the region; and a desire for more investment from state and federal governments.
Collaboration
In addition to Rockhampton Regional Council, other stakeholders in the development of the circular economy locally include state government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Department of Environment and Science and the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.
Other collaborators include agricultural industry leaders like the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange, farmers, energy companies and the civil construction sector. Energy companies also play an important role in the renewable space. For example, CleanCo Queensland is one of the biggest players in the production of biofuels. This organisation is state-owned and has the drive and support from the state to drive circular approaches.
For a significant volume of biofuel to be produced, an extensive amount of land is required, making local landholders another important stakeholder.
Rockhampton Regional Council’s representative acknowledged that council has undertaken limited community consultation about the circular economy but has a desire to ensure there is an educated understanding, good will and acceptance of projects that proceed locally. The interviewee expressed that when people can see the practical application of circular principles the wider community will resonate with the theory of circularity.