The first step is underway to build a state-of-the art re-use facility at the Goulburn Waste Management Centre. On Tuesday, councillors appointed Wollongong-based Cardno (NSW/ACT) Pty Ltd to design the centre, to be known as RUG. (Re-Use Goulburn).

It will comprise a new weighbridge, resource recovery building, community recycling centre, drop off areas, staff amenities, new road pavement, kerbing, guttering and drainage. Cardno beat off GHD Pty Ltd to win the $494,792 contract.

“Looking at what we’re doing up there, it’s as big as the Highland Source Project. It’s a massive step forward and I’m chuffed we’re going that way,” Cr Banfield said.

Utilities director Grant Moller said the work would also include an education centre and improved composting facilities.

“It really is a once in a generation project,” he said.

“It will mean a change for people. It’s about sorting your load, recycling as much as possible and us providing a facility that’s easy for people to use so they can recycle things like batteries, lamps and globes.”

Waste services staff, including business manager Teena Riley, have been touring other resource recovery centres, like that at Taree, to glean ideas.

She said the Goulburn centre would be undercover, allowing people people to drive in with recyclables such as concrete, general waste, steel, compost, mattresses and more.

The better sorted the piles, the less people would pay. A community recycling centre would also allow people to drop off hazardous waste such as oils, fluoro tubes, batteries and fire extinguishers free of charge.

The design is just stage one and is due to be completed at the end of this year. Early next year the council will call for tenders in construction, with the aim of finishing the centre by late 2019/early 2020. The overall project is worth $4.68 million.

Mr Moller said the industry was very much going down this path and it could significantly prolong the tip’s estimated 15-year life. He ruled out Woodlawn bioreactor as a general waste option for Goulburn but said some commercial waste could go there, along with possibly Tarago waste.