BUDGET 2022/2023 Green City
Green is gold for carbon neutral goal
Innovative recycling, increased solar capacity and an expanded green canopy are among the environmental initiatives in the 2022/2023 Budget that will enhance the City of Logan’s strong green credentials.
The measures also support Logan City Council’s goal to be carbon neutral by the end of this year.
A state-of-the-art recycling facility will be built at Browns Plains, pending a tender process in partnership with Ipswich and Redland councils, and subject to Queensland and Australian government funding.
The facility could process up to 60,000 tonnes annually of materials from yellow-lid recycling bins and significantly reduce landfill volumes.
Council has allocated $9 million towards the potential project in this budget.
Saving landfill space
Mayor Darren Power says a new approach to recycling mattresses will help extend the lifespan of the Browns Plains waste and recycling facility.
As part of the focus on being a ‘green city’, Council will also lead the way in recycling mattresses.
More than 10,000 mattresses are dumped each year in the City of Logan with each one taking up nearly a cubic metre of landfill space.
A new recycling process will harvest nearly 10kg of scrap metal from each mattress along with shredded fabric and foam which also have recycling potential.
Significantly, the recycling process ensures the landfill space needed for a discarded mattress is reduced by 98 percent.
The 2022/2023 Budget projects follow a range of the recently historic and award-winning environmental initiatives that demonstrate how Logan City Council is ‘Building on today for a brighter tomorrow’.
These include the unveiling of Australia’s first biosolids gasification at Loganholme, the innovative Cedar Grove Environmental Centre sewage treatment plant and national accolades for our growing green canopy.
Mayor Darren Power said the City of Logan would be one of the first local governments in Australia to operate as carbon neutral.
“Our residents have always been passionate about recycling, reducing our carbon footprint and protecting our natural environment,” Councillor Power said.
“We have led the way recently with a range of exciting environmental projects and Council is strongly committed to continued investment in green initiatives.”
Council applies an annual Environmental Levy to all rateable properties (some exemptions apply) to fund environmental projects and activities.
In 2022/2023, the levy increases by $7 to $87.40 per property. This will help fund projects including:
- Measures to ensure Council achieves net zero and retains certified carbon neutrality status
- Logan River and Albert River Visions projects and initiatives
- Land acquisitions to help preserve wildlife habitats and biodiversity corridors
- Environmental Conservation Partnerships, Land for Wildlife, environmental education, community grants and events (including the annual Eco Forum and LEAF)
- Bushland maintenance, Bushcare and the planting of thousands of native trees, shrubs and grasses
Other ‘green’ initiatives in this year’s budget include:
- A new polystyrene recycling service at Browns Plains
- Installation of solar panels at three additional Council-owned sites to add to the 2.5 megawatts of solar capacity now in operation
- Delivery of a three-year Illegal Dumping and Litter Enforcement Strategy led by Council’s Illegal Dumping Taskforce
- Establishing a Stormwater Channel Naturalisation Framework to identify potential for conversion of suitable storm water channels into more natural waterways – led by an initial trial in Sturdee Park at Loganlea
Logan City Council has delivered a record $1.014 billion budget for 2022/2023 as the city’s population grows towards half a million people in the next 15 years.
Read more about the budget at logan.qld.gov.au
