Local Government Waste Solutions Fund
Program snapshot
Grant Fund: Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy
Amounts: $10 million over 5 years from 2023 to 2027
Eligible bodies: Local councils and regional groups of councils in the levy-paying area
Contact: Community Waste Programs Team via email: localgovernment.programs@epa.nsw.gov.au
Status: Closed
Managed by: NSW Environment Protection Authority
Overview
Transitioning to a circular economy requires a shift in our current thinking to do things differently. The Local Government Waste Solutions Fund will encourage this transition through supporting innovative waste and recycling solutions designed in collaboration with partners to achieve impactful projects with long-term outcomes.
Eligible projects must contribute to achieving at least one of the priorities and targets identified in the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials (WaSM) Strategy 2041 and the NSW Plastics Action Plan.
For the purposes of this Fund, ‘innovation’ is defined as the practical application of ideas that result in something that is new, unique or adds value to an existing solution that is scalable.
Local Government Waste Solutions projects can be delivered by an individual or collaboration of local councils, individual or collaboration of regional waste groups.
Projects may take several months to years to complete; however, all projects must be completed by end of financial year 2026/27.
Aims
The $10 million Local Government Waste Solutions Fund aims to:
- support NSW local councils, collaborations of councils, and regional waste groups in the levy paying areas to deliver innovative waste and recycling solutions to their communities that support transition towards a circular economy and contribute to achieving NSW Government’s waste priorities and targets
- facilitate collaboration, knowledge-sharing and partnerships to assist NSW local councils to transition to a circular economy and have long-term impacts
- support local councils to share the findings and resources of funded projects.
Available funding
A project delivered by an individual council has a maximum funding limit of $200,000 (excluding GST).
A project delivered by a regional waste group, or a collaboration of local councils has a maximum funding limit of $400,000 (excluding GST).
A project must involve at least two local councils from the levy-paying area to be eligible for the maximum funding limit of $400,000 (excluding GST).
Eligible organisations
The Local Government Waste Solutions Fund is available to the following eligible organisations:
- local councils that pay waste levies in the regulated area. The names of these councils are defined by Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation.
- regional waste groups of councils in the Greater Sydney, Hunter, and Illawarra regions, supported by the EPA Regional Coordination Support Program
- voluntary regional waste groups in the RLA, supported by the EPA Regional Coordination Support Program. A project must involve at least two local councils from the levy-paying area to be eligible for the maximum funding limit of $400,000 (excluding GST).
Organisations who are not eligible to apply for the Local Government Waste Solutions Fund may partner with an eligible organisation to deliver the project and in doing so, benefit from the project outcomes. However, the lead applicant must be an eligible organisation.
Application process and assessment criteria
The Local Government Waste Solutions program guidelines (PDF 285KB) outlines the application process and assessment criteria. The guidelines should be read in their entirety.
Applications must be submitted to the EPA using the SmartyGrants platform.
Applications will undergo an eligibility check before being reviewed by an independent Technical Review Committee (TRC) using the criteria set out in the program guidelines. The Community Waste Programs team is available to support pre-application eligibility checks. For assistance, email localgovernment.programs@epa.nsw.gov.au.
In addition to eligibility requirements, successful applicants will be required to sign and return a Deed of Agreement confirming commitment to comply with conditions of the funding.
Future funding opportunities
One round of funding will be available each financial year from 2023-24 to 2025-26. Applications for future grant funding rounds will not be restricted to applicants that have applied for or received funding under Rounds 1 or 2.
| Round 1 – now closed | |
| Round 2 – now closed | |
| 15 June 2024 | Application outcome date |
| September 2024 | Round 3 expected to open |
| September 2025 | Round 4 expected to open |
Recipients
Under Round 2 of the Local Government Waste Solutions Fund, NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) awarded $1.898 million to councils and regional waste groups in levy paying areas of NSW for 10 projects.
|
Organisation and funding amount |
Project |
|---|---|
|
Penrith City Council $115,000 |
Combined Textile and Bicycle Drop Off Event This project will promote he circular economy by organising events for textiles and bicycles that may otherwise go to landfill. The goal is to upskill residents and change the community's perception of these items, from being considered waste to being recognised as valuable assets that can be repaired. |
|
Wingecarribee shire council $150,000 |
Community Education Workshops for Circular Economy This project will provide extensive community education to change perceptions about waste and communicate its potential as a valuable resource. The Wingecarribee Shire RCC is uniquely positioned to host insightful community workshops that change public perception through both educational materials and practical demonstrations, prioritising the use of recycled materials.
|
|
Muswellbrook Shire Council $102,960 |
Enhancing the Value of Materials to Contribute to our Local Circular Economy This project will dramatically improve Council’s operational efficiency and productivity by increasing the reuse of waste materials normally destined for landfill, into reusable products for on-site road building, as well as gravels, woodchip, landscaping or garden products for sale. |
|
North East Waste $110,224 |
Finding Pathways to Better Practice for Hard to Recover Resources This project aims to expand the range of construction and demolition materials targeted for recovery, identify and attract viable market places through sound market analysis, improve networks for emerging activity, and provide all councils with guidelines, training and a business case to improve recovery of C&D materials.
|
|
Georges River Council $100,000 |
Sustainable and Circular Design Guide This project will investigate sustainable and circular economy design guides for council-wide infrastructure projects promoting sustainable practices, minimizing waste to landfill and maximizing recycled resources. It benefits communities by reducing environmental impact, creating local economic opportunities, and activating community areas. The guide aims to create resilient, inclusive, and environmentally-friendly localities. |
|
Ballina Shire Council $192,500 |
Holistic Solutions to C&D Recovery from a Regional Resource Recovery Centre This construction and demolition recovery project proposes an innovative holistic integrated solution to the problem of construction and demolition waste coming through our facility currently being sent to landfill. Through a variety of activities, mechanisms and collaborations with regional partners, we aim to find viable solutions for hard-to-recycle C&D materials to improve regional circularity. |
|
Byron Shire Council $198,500 |
Building Byron’s Reuse Economy This project is focused on developing a network of infrastructure to support a reuse economy. An audit of Council facilities will determine where there may be gaps in our infrastructure and then upgrading and installing the appropriate infrastructure to meet the requirements of the operations of Council and event facilities. |
|
Hunter Joint Organisation $349,413 |
Circular Procurement for Local Government Phase 2 This project aims to better understand and address the persistent barriers to the uptake of circular products and solutions by councils. It will use deep engagement with councils and suppliers to identify key intervention points and develop model tools and processes to support councils and industry to address these. |
|
Canterbury-Bankstown Council $180,000 |
Building Better Bin Bays This project will assist apartment blocks in improving their waste infrastructure, allowing them to have full access to recycling and organics collections. Following a rebate scheme, case studies will be developed to assist other blocks in the improvement of their bin bays.
|
|
Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation $400,000 |
Pathways for transforming low value and contaminated FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) rejects into viable resources By identifying pathways to transform low value and contaminated FOGO rejects into viable resources, this project reduces waste and emissions from this sector. It also enables the transformed resources to remain in the productive economy and directly aids in the regeneration of nature through the opportunity to apply clean material to land. |
Under Round 1 of the Local Government Waste Solutions Fund, NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) awarded $2.004 million to councils and regional waste groups in levy paying areas of NSW for 11 projects.
|
Organisation and funding amount |
Project |
|---|---|
|
North East Waste $166,400 |
Northern Rivers Circular C&D This project will undertake a number of trials in four centrally located councils to test the efficacy, replicability and potential of each approach. Trials include establishing gyprock recycling, improving tip shop design and salvage systems, working with commercial waste contractors to understand incentives to facilitate source separation, conducting a compositional audit of a transfer station and promoting awareness amongst tradespeople for best practice waste management. |
|
Georges River Council $43,815 |
E-Waste and Extras - Community Recycling Event This project will combine with the current quarterly E-Waste Drop Off events, to include more items that will be collected and recycled, including EPS, hard plastics, large cardboard and child car safety seats. |
|
Northern Beaches Council $200,000 |
Towards a Northern Beaches Circular Economy Hub – the Leading Reuse and Repair Network in NSW This project is designed to ensure the Northern Beaches is set up to be the leading local circular economy region in Sydney, focused on embedding systems to enable the community to reuse and repair as many used consumer items as possible. Funding will be used to undertake a feasibility study, run pilot repair initiatives, and prepare a study of key circular economy opportunities in the Northern Beaches. |
|
Waverley Council $158,500 |
Pathway to a Circular Bondi Junction Precinct This project will analyse the relationships between business, the community and Council to identify how a large metropolitan precinct can be transitioned into a circular precinct. This will include the establishment of a circular precinct working group, gathering baseline material flows data, conducting a circular economy precinct survey and trialling a materials exchange platform. Based on the data collected and trial undertaken, the project will deliver a circular economy report and roadmap for Bondi Junction. |
|
Macarthur Strategic Waste Alliance $115,000 |
Saved from the Tip - A Feasibility Study This project will conduct a comprehensive regional feasibility study in relation to the need for a tip shop and repair café and tool library (mobile or fixed) for the region. |
|
Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils Ltd $97,000 |
Advancing Circular Economy Procurement Guidance for Councils This project will take the existing theoretical guidance and preferred circular procurement outcomes to provide a supported process for councils to implement through more detailed guidance. Councils will learn about the circular procurement models that exist, and document implementation barriers and challenges to be overcome. Next, the project will build detailed implementation guidance, training and template procurement clauses to provide councils with the resources to implement and detailed guidance on what to change. |
|
Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation $389,889 |
Creating a Circular Ecosystem for Waste Wood in NSW This project will bring together stakeholders and project partners with supply or demand needs for waste wood in a market matchmaking process, to facilitate the creation of a circular ecosystem in NSW. The project will undertake desktop research, seek formal engagement with stakeholders in a matchmaking lab, perform technical and material analysis, and develop a business case and evaluation report of the lab process. |
|
Hunter Joint Organisation $293,469 |
Hunter Circular Knowledge Hub The project will create and pilot a digital circular knowledge hub for two distinct user groups – for council staff, and for the community at large. The aim is to address the information accessibility and knowledge barriers that prevail and frustrate uptake of circular services and recovery pathways in the region. |
|
Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of councils $400,000 |
Re-tread: Bicycle Re-distribution and Recovery This project will increase access to bicycle repair and reuse to ensure that bikes are given are second life, dismantled for spare parts and recycled as a last resort. There will be a focus on establishing a lasting network of community, program and business partners to scale bike recovery. |
|
Lismore City Council $85,000 |
Circular Economy Hub Feasibility Study This project will help Lismore 'build back better' after the February 2022 Natural Disaster and stimulate the Lismore economy through the creation of jobs, new small to medium scale circular economy initiatives and social enterprise. The project will develop a detailed feasibility study of a 'hub and spoke' regional circular economy hub within Lismore LGA. |
|
Maitland City Council $55,000 |
Circular Economy Hub Feasibility Study A circular economy hub aims to address the gap in circular economy initiatives in Maitland by providing upcycling, reuse, repair and sharing facilities which align with Council services. The feasibility study provides the opportunity to maximise the circular economy outcomes and implementation of a sustainable facility. A key component of the feasibility study includes the development of relationships and partnerships with businesses, charities, social enterprises, and community groups, to maximise the success of the project and shared value to the community. |
In June 2021, the NSW Government released the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 – Stage 1: 2021–2027 and the NSW Plastics Action Plan. The Waste and Sustainable Materials (WaSM) Strategy aims to change how the NSW economy produces, consumes, and recycles products and materials, and sets out a vision for transitioning to a circular economy over the next 20 years.
Local governments play a critical role in developing innovative approaches to waste minimisation as NSW transitions to a circular economy. As councils work directly with their local communities to address waste and resource recovery issues, they have a good understanding of the issues and are best placed to identify new and creative solutions tailored to their communities.
By working together, through knowledge sharing, mentoring, collaboration or partnerships, there is greater chance of having an impactful project and long-term outcomes.
