Cairns Advanced Resource Recovery Technology (ARRT) Facility

Cairns Advanced Resource Recovery Technology (ARRT) Facility is an alternative waste treatment project located in Cairns, Far North Queensland. It was registered in July 2013 and operates as a dedicated industrial site processing regional waste, rather than a broadacre land project.

Alternative waste treatment projects involve diverting mixed solid waste from traditional landfills to specialized treatment facilities. This prevents the release of methane that would typically be generated as organic material decomposes anaerobically in a standard landfill environment.

The Cairns area is characterized by a tropical, high-rainfall climate. The surrounding agricultural region primarily features alluvial, clay, and sandy loam soils, which heavily support local sugarcane farming, grazing, and horticultural operations.

This project, managed by Veolia Recycling & Recovery ANZ, utilizes an enclosed drum composting technology to separate non-organic materials and process residential and commercial organic waste. Interestingly, the high-quality compost produced by the facility is sold back to local horticultural enterprises, directly benefiting the region's sugarcane producers. The project originally operated under a revoked 2013 CFI methodology before transitioning to the updated 2015 determination. It also successfully fulfilled an April 2015 Carbon Abatement Contract, officially completing in August 2022 after delivering over 98,000 tonnes of carbon abatement to the Australian Government.