Gympie Region Future Waste Facility
Page last updated 9 November 2026 at 2.46 pm.
Gympie Regional Council is planning now for the region’s long-term waste management needs to ensure reliable and affordable waste services are available for generations to come.
As part of this planning, Council has purchased a 162-hectare property at Lower Wonga to carry out detailed investigations into whether the site could accommodate a future waste management facility.
The site was identified as the preferred location following several years of investigations into long-term waste management options. These investigations considered a range of locations, including a recent assessment of 12 potential sites across the Gympie region.
While Council has purchased the property, no decision has been made to develop a waste management facility at this location.
Securing the land allows Council to undertake detailed investigations needed to determine whether the site can meet the required planning and environmental standards and provide the long-term waste solution the region needs.
The next phase is expected to take more than two years and will include environmental assessments, engineering studies and the required planning and environmental assessment and approval processes.
Why a new waste facility is needed
Council’s Waste Strategy 2025-2035 estimates that the existing landfill at Bonnick Road will reach capacity in 2027. Council needs to plan now for how the region will manage its waste into the future.
Without a local landfill, Council would need to transport the region’s waste to facilities outside the Gympie region.
This option is estimated to cost approximately $125 million over 30 years, before allowing for future increases in costs such as fuel and inflation, with these costs ultimately falling to ratepayers.
Building a new facility within the Gympie region provides an opportunity to:
- Secure a long-term waste management solution for at least the next 50 years.
- Reduce reliance on transporting waste outside the region.
- Manage long-term waste disposal costs locally.
What is proposed
If approved, the site would be developed into a modern waste management facility to meet the Gympie Region’s long-term waste needs.
The facility could include areas for waste disposal, recycling and resource recovery, as well as waste transfer services.
Only a small part of the property would be used for waste operations at any one time, with the facility developed in stages over many years. Much of the property would remain as buffer areas to provide separation from neighbouring properties, protect the environment and reduce visual impacts.
The detailed investigations will inform the final design, including how the site could operate, the infrastructure required and the measures needed to manage potential impacts. Any future development would need to meet the relevant planning and environmental requirements and approval conditions.
What this means for the waste facility at Bonnick Road
The current Gympie Waste Management Facility at Bonnick Road will continue to be the Region’s primary waste drop-off point even if a new waste management facility is built at the Lower Wonga site.
Council has secured $3.46 million in Round 1 of the Queensland Government’s Resource Recovery Boost Fund which will go towards the $7.9 million project to upgrade the existing Resource Recovery Centre into a modern waste transfer station.
The upgraded transfer station will feature a fully sealed concrete surface, improved waste and recycling drop-off areas with easy-to-use sorting bins, and dedicated spaces to separate recyclable materials from general waste. It will also include improved drainage and leachate management infrastructure, helping protect the surrounding environment while reducing ongoing operational costs.
Works on the transfer station upgrade are expected to start in early 2027.
What happens next
Council will now undertake the detailed investigations needed to demonstrate whether Lower Wonga can meet the required planning and environmental standards for a future waste management facility.
This phase is expected to take more than two years and will include environmental, engineering, technical and planning investigations. The findings will help inform the facility design, identify measures needed to manage potential impacts and support the required planning and environmental assessment and approval processes.
If a development application is lodged, it will be publicly notified. The community will then have the opportunity to make formal submissions as part of the assessment process.
For now, there will be very little visible activity on the property while investigations and studies are undertaken.
What will be investigated
Detailed investigations will consider the site's environmental, engineering, planning and operational requirements and identify measures needed to manage potential impacts. This work will inform the facility design and the planning and environmental assessment and approval processes.
If approved, the facility would be developed progressively, with engineered landfill cells constructed in stages as they are needed. The detailed investigations will help determine the final design, including the facility footprint, access, infrastructure and measures needed to manage potential impacts.
The broader property would provide space for appropriate buffers around facility operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much has Council budgeted for the property and initial investigations?
Council allocated $5 million in the 2026-27 Budget to purchase the property and undertake initial investigations of the site.
Why did Council buy the land before the investigation was completed?
Before purchasing the property, Council completed preliminary investigations, including planning, environmental, geotechnical and bushfire assessments. These investigations did not identify any significant issues that would prevent the site from progressing to the next stage of assessment.
Purchasing the property gives Council the access and certainty needed to undertake the more detailed investigations required to demonstrate whether the site can meet the required planning and environmental standards.
The next phase or approval process is expected to take more than two years and will involve detailed environmental investigations, engineering studies and approvals from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI).
What happens to our rubbish in 2027 if the new facility isn't built?
Council is managing the transition in stages and has submitted an application to the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) to extend the operational life of the existing Bonnick Road landfill.
If approved, this would allow Council to continue managing waste at Bonnick Road for a longer period while investigations into the suitability of the Lower Wonga property continue in parallel.
Why not just transport our waste to the Sunshine Coast or Brisbane?
Transporting the region’s waste elsewhere would cost more and reduce Council’s control over local waste services. Independent analysis found that transporting the region’s waste to another facility would cost approximately $125 million over 30 years, with around 80 per cent of that money leaving the region. This could be much greater with increasing associated costs such as fuel or inflation.
With landfill space across South East Queensland expected to become limited from around 2038, there is also no guarantee that other facilities would be able to continue accepting the region’s waste in the long term.
What is this going to cost me on my rates?
As investigations progress, Council will prepare a more detailed cost estimate based on further information about the site, facility design, infrastructure needs and environmental requirements. This will ensure any future decisions are informed by a clearer understanding of the project's costs, rather than preliminary estimates.
What happens to the Lower Wonga property if the proposed new facility doesn't proceed?
If the proposed waste management facility at the site is unable to proceed, Council would continue to manage and maintain the property as Council-owned land.
How will the community be involved?
Council has already spoken with neighbouring property owners about the purchase of the Lower Wonga property and will continue to engage with them as investigations progress.
Council will keep neighbours and the wider community informed, listen to concerns, answer questions where possible and share information from the investigations as it becomes available.
If a development application is lodged, it will be publicly notified. The community will then have the opportunity to make formal submissions as part of the assessment process.
Information about future community engagement activities will be published on this page as it becomes available.
When will the new facility be built?
The assessment process comes first and is expected to take more than two years. Construction can only begin if the necessary approvals are granted. The timing of construction and opening will depend on the approvals and final design. Once dates are confirmed, Council will share them publicly.
Will waste just be piled up at the site?
The proposal is for an engineered waste management facility, not an open "dump". The facility would be developed progressively, using engineered landfill cells constructed in stages as they are needed. The detailed investigations will help determine the final layout, design, buffers and measures needed to manage potential impacts.
How will potential environmental impacts be managed?
Detailed investigations will consider matters including surface water and groundwater, biodiversity and vegetation, flooding, bushfire risk and potential impacts on neighbouring properties. The findings will inform the facility design and any measures required to manage impacts.
Any future facility would also need to meet the relevant Queensland planning and environmental requirements and approval conditions.
Who made the decision to purchase the Lower Wonga property?
At its Ordinary Meeting on 28 January 2026, Council resolved to negotiate the purchase of the property and, if negotiations were successful, enter into a contract of purchase on terms satisfactory to the Chief Executive Officer.
The decision followed several years of investigations into long-term waste management options. These investigations considered a range of locations, including a recent assessment of 12 potential sites across the Gympie region, supported by planning, environmental, geotechnical and bushfire assessments.
The property was advertised for sale on the open market and purchased through Council’s normal property purchase process, at a price supported by an independent valuation.
The Council resolution is available in the minutes of the 28 January 2026 Ordinary Meeting.