Port Stephens Waste Management Composting Facility

The Port Stephens Waste Management Composting Facility (Project ID: EOP100212) is an Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) project located at the Raymond Terrace Resource Recovery Park, approximately 4km southwest of Raymond Terrace and 25km north of Newcastle in New South Wales. Registered in June 2013, the project transitioned from the original Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) to the 2015 AWT method. It is operated by Veolia Recycling & Recovery (formerly SITA and Suez), utilizing the Bedminster composting technology, a system of large rotating drums, to process mixed solid waste.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Alternative Waste Treatment) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology credits the avoidance of methane emissions that would have otherwise been generated if the organic portion of mixed household waste (red-lid bin) was sent to a landfill. By diverting this waste into an enclosed composting facility, the organic matter decomposes aerobically, significantly reducing the production of methane (a potent greenhouse gas).

The facility is situated in the Hunter Region, an area characterized by a warm temperate climate with high average rainfall of approximately 1,100mm per year. The local terrain typically consists of coastal alluvial and sandy clay soils, owing to its proximity to the Hunter River floodplain. While the immediate site is industrial, the surrounding region supports a mix of rural residential living, remnant bushland, and forestry operations.

A significant regulatory event impacting this type of facility was the NSW EPA's 2018 decision to revoke exemptions for the application of "Mixed Waste Organic Outputs" (MWOO) to agricultural land due to contamination concerns. While this restricted the end-market for the compost product (limiting it primarily to mine rehabilitation or landfill cover), the carbon project itself focuses on the diversion activity. The project successfully completed its Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC702529) in 2022.