It’s been 10 months since a compost fire destroyed equipment at the Lismore Recycling and Resource Recovery Centre. 

While the centre is processing some recycled materials, it’s not yet up to full capacity – but the centre’s manager Andy Irvine said September is looking good for getting the equipment up and running at full capacity.

Lismore Recycling and Resource Recovery Centre manager Andy Irvine.

“It’s been hard since the fire for the people that work here, but we are on track now for the rebuilding of the new facility,” Andy said.

“We are currently processing about 40% of the recycled materials brought in and hopefully we’ll be ready by September for handling everything.

“Plastics and aluminium are already back to full processing, but our capacity to process some cardboard and papers were affected because that was the end of the machine we lost in the fire.”

Ingenuity

Andy said it was the ingenuity of the centre’s 20 staff that got the equipment running again after the fire.

“It’s a dirty job working here and these workers never get any credit for it, but they do it every day – invent ways to get things done and build something.

“Along the way we’ve added bits and prices to machine sections to get them working for processing again.

“When one end of the equipment here burnt, we couldn’t fit material into it and these guys worked out a way to build stuff and feed things into it.

“It greatly reduced our reliance on other facilities to get the processing done.

“Recycling and resource recovery is a big business.”

Kieran Byrne has been leading hand at the centre for three years. He enjoyed a celebration with his workmates recently in a show of recognition for the work done by Council’s quiet achievers.

Revolve shop

Andy said staff were trying to get the Revolve Shop at the centre open soon.

“The covid period has been difficult,” he said.

“We have had to control people’s movements who come in and walk around, so opening the shop has been a staff resourcing issue.

“The public have been awesome and understanding. It’s been a real imposition on them because they can’t get in and do the things they normally do.

“We are just following public health rules.”

The quiet achievers

Andy said when the covid restrictions first kicked in, it was tough on the staff who worked there because they had to wear masks all day long in very hot conditions.

“They work processing equipment and the landfill and compost areas and help people sort things in cars,” he said. 

“We also have people who fix dams and do building work and engineering plant repairs.

“Then there’s the people who get up early to drive the trucks and pick up the garbage – and they are never heard of.

“It’s a varied job and the town couldn’t run without this service – it would drown very quickly."