Port Macquarie Hastings Council Avoided Emissions from Diverting Legacy Waste from Landfill through a Mechanical Processing, Separation, and Stabilisation, and Enclosed Aerobic Composting Alternative Waste Treatment Facility

Port Macquarie Hastings Council Avoided Emissions from Diverting Legacy Waste from Landfill is an Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) project located at the Cairncross Waste Management Facility, approximately 15 kilometers northwest of Port Macquarie, New South Wales. Registered in December 2013, this project transitioned from the original Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) to the current Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme. The facility is situated at Pembrooke, bordered by the Cairncross State Forest and the Rawdon Creek Nature Reserve.

The project operates under the Alternative Waste Treatment methodology, which awards carbon credits for diverting mixed solid waste that would otherwise release methane in a landfill. By processing this waste through mechanical separation and enclosed aerobic composting, the project avoids anaerobic decomposition. Specifically, this facility utilizes these technologies to stabilize the organic fraction of the waste, ultimately producing a combustible fuel substitute (Process Engineered Fuel) and recovering recyclable materials.

The Pembrooke region experiences a high-rainfall, subtropical climate typical of the Mid North Coast. The surrounding landscape consists primarily of native forestry and conservation areas, characterized by clay and loam soils that support dense vegetation.

A notable aspect of this project is its longevity and successful contract delivery; it secured a carbon abatement contract in 2016 and completed its delivery obligations in June 2023, supplying over 78,000 ACCUs to the Commonwealth. While the site continues to operate as a major waste hub with a landfill life extended to 2056, recent council reports from late 2025 indicate a strategic shift for the materials recovery portion of the site, transitioning from local processing to a transfer station model to improve economic viability.