Proposed Food and Garden Organics Composting Facility

Council is proposing a new Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) Composting Facility on land at Johnstons Road, Forge Creek, next to the existing Bairnsdale Regional Landfill.

This facility will support more sustainable waste management by diverting food and garden waste from landfill and turning it into nutrient-rich compost.

What's happened so far?

A planning permit application has been lodged with Council, and a development licence application has been submitted to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

Public notifications for the planning application commenced in February 2025. Affected landowners were notified directly, in accordance with the statutory planning process under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

A community information session was held on 27 March 2025 to present the proposal and answer questions.

What's happening next?

The project team is currently reviewing all feedback received so far. The project team is also considering potential changes to the proposal in response to community feedback. Updates will be posted to this Your Say page.

We are committed to transparent community engagement and decision-making. You can continue to provide feedback until a decision is made on the planning application.

Community members are invited to learn more about the proposed organic composting facility, and provide comment if they choose to.

The EPA development licence will also be made available for public comment in due course.

You can get involved by:

• Viewing the planning permit application documents here
• Reading the frequently asked questions here
• Download a project information sheet here
• Making a submission
• Making an appointment with the Statutory Planning team to discuss the application (03) 5153 9500

Submissions

To ensure your submission is considered:

• It must be received before Council makes its decision on the application
• It must be a written submission, addressed to Council
• If objecting to the proposal, please clearly label it as an objection and include:
  • Your reasons for objecting
  • Stating how the application will affect you, and
  • Include your name and current contact details

You can also use the Objection Form to structure your response.

Project scope

Council is seeking approval for a new organic composting facility located next to Bairnsdale Regional Landfill, on Johnstons Road, Forge Creek.

Beveridge Williams, an engineering, infrastructure and land development consultancy, is managing the planning permit process on behalf of Council.

The facility will allow the separation of organic waste (such as food scraps and garden trimmings) from general waste. It can then be composted and turned into nutrient-rich soil, rather than being sent to landfill where it would otherwise generate methane emissions. The facility will continue to accept garden waste from the community, as is currently the case at the landfill.

The facility is designed to process up to 25,000 tonnes of garden organics (GO) and mixed food and garden organics (FOGO) waste each year. The process includes:

• Covered, air-assisted bunkers for initial treatment of mixed organics,
• Followed by open windrows for further compost maturation.

The facility will continue to accept garden waste from the community, as is currently the case at the landfill.

We welcome your continued interest in this initiative. Updates will be provided on Your Say. Please click 'Subscribe' at the top of the page to follow this project and receive important information directly to your inbox.