SOMERSET Regional Council has joined four other South-East Queensland councils in seeking regulatory approval to explore options for future waste management services.

Somerset Regional Council, along with Ipswich City Council, Redland City Council, Lockyer Valley Regional Council and Logan City Council, has applied to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for authorisation to invite expressions of interest (EOI) in the provision of future waste disposal and/or resource recovery services.

Proposals would be invited for a regional solution, or for solutions which will suit one or more Council areas. The proposals could range from small scale through to large scale integrated regional solutions and can be focused on one or more of available waste streams offered by the Councils.

Somerset Regional Council Mayor Graeme Lehmann said it was in the Somerset community’s interests to investigate a regional approach to waste management.

“Somerset Regional Council recognises that some existing methods of waste management, such as landfill, may not be sustainable in the long term,” Cr Lehmann said.

“By exploring a combined regional waste management solution, council and its partners may be in a position to consider new waste and recycling solutions in addition to inviting the traditional solutions.

“For the waste management industry, this is an opportunity to respond with innovative proposals for technologies and infrastructure that will boost resource recovery and support progress towards a circular economy.”

All documentation relating to the joint application will be made public and published on the ACCC’s Authorisations Register.

It is expected the EOI will be advertised by the end of March.