Biomass Solutions, Waste Diversion through Alternative Waste Management at Coffs Harbour

Biomass Solutions, Waste Diversion through Alternative Waste Management at Coffs Harbour is an Alternative Waste Treatment project located approximately 4km southwest of the Coffs Harbour city centre on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. It was registered in September 2013, though the exact project area footprint is unknown.

Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) projects involve diverting eligible organic material and mixed solid waste away from landfills, where it would otherwise decompose and release potent methane gas. Instead, the waste is treated using approved technologies such as enclosed composting, process mapping, or anaerobic digestion to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Coffs Harbour region is a coastal urban centre known for tourism, forestry operations, and intensive agriculture such as banana and blueberry farming. Located in a subtropical coastal zone, the region experiences high rainfall and is characterized by fertile soils, most notably basalt-derived red clay loams (krasnozems) and coastal podzolics.

This project initially commenced under a now-revoked Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) method before transitioning to the 2015 AWT determination. It processes mixed solid waste alongside food and garden organics collected from the Coffs Harbour City Council, Bellingen Shire Council, and Nambucca Valley Council. The facility utilizes an enclosed mechanical processing and composting technology where waste is shredded, de-contaminated, and managed in climate-controlled concrete bays. This ensures proper aeration, moisture control, and the removal of pathogens and weed seeds. The resulting nutrient-rich compost is then sold back to market gardens, urban landscape suppliers, and the broader agricultural industry.

The project has undergone several proponent variations since its inception, and it is currently managed by Corporate Carbon Advisory Pty Ltd and Corporate Carbon Solutions Pty Ltd. Notably, the project fulfilled its April 2015 carbon abatement contract (CAC565757) with the Australian Government, successfully delivering 325,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).