Developments at Kelso Waste Facility promise to deliver a modern, community-focused Sustainable Resource Recovery Facility.
If you've never heard of Kelso, you're not alone. Tucked away in the back of Panania, Kelso Waste Facility has been quietly serving our community for 73 years - out of sight and out of mind. For most of that time it's operated as a landfill facility, but exciting changes are on the way.
Our community and our economy are facing increasing challenges as we transition to a more sustainable future. We're working to meet those challenges and turn them into opportunities for our residents, our community and future generations.
As a cornerstone of that transition, Kelso is being revitalised into a modern Sustainable Resource Recovery Facility, designed to divert waste from landfills and support the circular economy. The new development will create valuable local jobs and new opportunities to recycle hard-to-process items like household and car batteries; paints; gas bottles; and fire extinguishers.
The site will continue to contribute to existing initiatives, like reprocessing excavated road materials for re-use in repairing potholes and other infrastructure projects.
Kelso is a working waste and recycling processing facility so it isn't open to the public (yet!). Future developments will welcome residents to visit and use the site. For now, see below for a peek at some of the goings on at Kelso.
Goats
Our friendly flock of four-legged lawnmowers are some of the hardest workers on site. They help manage grass and weeds naturally, reducing the need for fossil fuels.
Goats often preferentially graze on weed species and can access rocky and uneven ground unsuitable for mowers. They reduce labour costs and lessen reliance on chemical and mechanical weed managment. It doesn't hurt that they're cute as well!
Repurposing construction and demolition waste
Leftover materials such as bricks, concrete and asphalt from Council projects are processed through Kelso. Many of these are reclaimed for use in building and repairing roads.
Building materials generate a lot of carbon in their production. By maximising re-use, we increase efficiency, reduce waste to landfill and limit the carbon cost of new infrastructure.
Clean green waste makes high quality compost
Have you ever wondered what happens to the waste from your green bins? First up it gets deposited on Kelso's Green Waste Decontamination Pad, where innapropriate items like plastic bags, garden hoses and bricks are manually removed. This step helps us send high-quality material to our processors, and return better compost to residents through our Wheelie Good™ Compost giveaways.
Since 2012 we've been holding Wheelie Good™ Compost giveaways twice a year. These are ticketed community events where residents can collect bagged compost made by Soil Co. from the green bin waste generated by the community.
Holding ponds and wetlands are a refuge for native species
Holding ponds and wetlands help manage water at the site. They have become home to a thriving community of native species including birds, turtles and microbats. Kelso has even become the home of a rare black ibis - the result of a melanistic mutation that turns the familiar white bin chicken into a striking black bird.
Exciting changes are coming to the Kelso site! The proposed transformation will turn the area into a Sustainable Resource Recovery Facility, helping divert materials from landfill and supporting the circular economy. This redevelopment will also create local jobs, and serve as a key component of Council's food waste recycling (FOGO) strategy. It's all a step towards a more sustainable and community-focused future for Kelso.
Planned features include:
A Community Recycling Centre: a dedicated space for residents to recycle challenging items like household and car batteries, paints, gas bottles, and fire extinguishers. This facility will be available year-round to make recycling more accessible.
Community Education & Reuse Centres: the site will host spaces where residents can learn about sustainable living practices and purchase affordable second-hand goods that might otherwise end up in the landfill.
Road Material Reprocessing: excavated road materials will continue to be repurposed for local infrastructure projects, including filling potholes and supporting other building programs.
Improved Heavy Vehicle Access is being investigated: we're looking at ways to improve vehicle management to ensure safety for residents and workers.
Kelso isn't currently open to the public