Port Stephens Waste Management Composting Facility

Port Stephens Waste Management Composting Facility is an Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) project located at the Raymond Terrace Resource Recovery Park, approximately 4 kilometres northeast of the Raymond Terrace town centre and 30 kilometres north of Newcastle, New South Wales. Registered in June 2013, the project transitioned from the original Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) scheme and operates under the 2015 Alternative Waste Treatment methodology. The facility itself has been operational since the late 1990s and serves the Port Stephens local government area.

Alternative Waste Treatment projects under this methodology generate carbon credits by diverting mixed solid waste (household rubbish) away from landfills, where it would otherwise decompose anaerobically and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Instead, the waste is processed in an enclosed composting facility. This specific project utilizes "Bedminster" technology, which involves large rotating drums (digesters) that accelerate the breakdown of organic material over several days, followed by a maturation phase to produce compost.

The Raymond Terrace area experiences a warm, temperate climate with high coastal rainfall. The regional soils are diverse, ranging from sandy soils typical of the Port Stephens coastal dunes to texture-contrast clay soils (Chromosols and Kurosols) found further inland and at the facility's site, which was originally a quarry. The surrounding region is characterized by a mix of industrial land use, residential development, and remnant bushland.

A notable aspect of this project is its history as one of Australia's pioneering AWT facilities. Originally commissioned in 1999, it was the first long-term agreement in the country to use such advanced composting technology for municipal waste. The facility is now operated by Veolia Recycling & Recovery ANZ following its acquisition of SITA. The project successfully completed its carbon abatement contract (CAC702529) with the Australian Government in August 2022, delivering over 74,000 tonnes of abatement.