Rockhampton SSO kerbside diversion project (Revoked)

The Rockhampton SSO kerbside diversion project (Revoked) was a waste diversion initiative located at the Lakes Creek Road Waste Management Facility, approximately 6km east of the Rockhampton CBD in Queensland. Registered in November 2023, the project was situated within the Lakes Creek landfill site, which serves as the primary waste disposal hub for the Rockhampton Region. The facility is surrounded by the Fitzroy River floodplain, an area characterized by alluvial plains and cracking clay soils, typical of the region's sub-tropical, summer-dominant rainfall climate.

The project operated under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Source Separated Organic Waste) Methodology Determination 2016. This methodology incentivizes the diversion of organic material, specifically food and garden waste, away from general landfill. By separating this waste at the source (typically via "FOGO" bins) and processing it through alternative means such as composting or anaerobic digestion, the project prevents the generation of methane that would otherwise occur if the organics decomposed anaerobically in a landfill.

Although the project description indicated plans to process waste using "enclosed composting technology," the project was revoked on December 17, 2024, under Section 30 of the CFI Rule. Section 30 refers to a voluntary revocation request by the proponent, suggesting the Rockhampton Regional Council (the proponent) chose to withdraw the project. This decision may be linked to the Council's broader waste strategy; while they have successfully conducted FOGO trials with open windrow composting, the discrepancy between the "enclosed" technology described in the project registration and the operational reality of the trials, or changes in the rollout timeline, could have necessitated the revocation. The project had a very short lifespan, being revoked just over a year after registration and only months after its crediting period technically commenced.