BENDIGO'S council should help ease a "significant strain" on Victoria's sand supplies by approving a new recycling plant in Eaglehawk, a company says.
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The building industry is grappling with shortages fueled by large-scale state government building products, Allstone Quarries (ASQ) has told the City of Greater Bendigo in an application for the glass washing equipment.
The company has lodged new plans for the glass washing facility in Eaglehawk, in an area near the suburb's landfill.
ASQ already transforms 5000 tonnes of recycled glass into sand every year, which is then sold on for use in everything from road upgrades to stormwater systems and bike lane delineators across the state.
The company wants to clean all of that glass before crushing it, which would allow for a purer end product and reduce a reliance on existing quarries,
"By creating a purer product, a greater amount of waste is recovered ensuring less waste is sent to landfill," it said in its planning application.
ASQ wants to set the washing module up on part of a 2.8 hectare site, along with water storage and evaporation dams.
The company is making the bid as Bendigo's council prepares to close Eaglehawk's landfill and attempt to create a zero-waste "circular economy" by the mid-2030s.
ASQ has told the council its glass washing project would help build up the region for that future.
People have been recycling in the immediate area since the 1970s and the company says its new glass washing module would be perfect for underutilised land in an industrial area.
ASQ expects to employ four full-time staff at the glass washing facility but told the council indirect job creation in the construction industry "is likely to be far greater".
"Overall, the glass washing module will form an essential step to a business that is at the forefront of sustainable waste recovery," it said.
The project has financial backing from the state and federal governments, ASQ's planning experts said in a statement to the Advertiser.
"A formal 14-day advertising period is likely to commence in accordance with Council's direction within the next 1-2 months," the representatives from consultancy Ricardo Energy Environment & Planning said.
"During this period members of the public will be able to view the proposed plans, technical assessments, and town planning report."
The council is considering ASQ's application and is expected to make a decision at a later date.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
