Casino Bio-hub Project

Casino Bio-hub Project is an industrial wastewater treatment project located approximately 2km south of the Casino town centre in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. Registered in September 2024, the project operates within the industrial footprint of the Richmond Valley, an area synonymous with the Australian beef industry. The project proponent is Casino Biohub Pty Ltd.

The project operates under the Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Wastewater methodology. Specifically, it involves replacing deep open anaerobic lagoons, which traditionally release significant amounts of methane into the atmosphere, with enclosed anaerobic digesters. These digesters capture the biogas generated during the treatment of industrial wastewater, which is then combusted using a flaring device to convert the potent methane into less harmful carbon dioxide. This process not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also improves local air quality and odour management.

Geographically, the project is situated in Casino, known as the "Beef Capital of Australia," where land use is heavily dominated by cattle grazing and meat processing. The facility is located at coordinates that correspond to the wastewater treatment ponds of the Northern Co-operative Meat Company (The Casino Food Co-op), the region's largest employer. The local environment is characterized by a subtropical climate with high annual rainfall (averaging around 1,100mm) and soils that are predominantly clay and alluvial types, typical of the Richmond River floodplain.