Recycling centres across regional Victoria including in Gippsland can apply for grants of up to $500,000 for infrastructure upgrades as part of Round One of the $40.9 million Regional Recycling Fund.

The Victorian Government is continuing to drive Victoria’s economic recovery from COVID-19 through game-changing investment in regional recycling infrastructure, to create circular economies and local jobs.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said that grants are available to upgrade regionally significant resource recovery centres that process recyclable materials including cardboard, plastic, paper, glass, and mixed recyclables.

A funding pool of $10 million is available for Round One of the program, which can also be used to fund infrastructure investment that will help smaller facilities operate at a larger scale to strengthen regional Victoria’s recycling network.

Future funding from the Regional Recycling Fund will focus on upgrading and establishing new regional material recovery facilities and be informed by the development of Regional Circular Economy Plans. These plans will bring together regional councils and identify local recycling opportunities that optimise Victoria’s resource recovery and transfer station network.

Local councils and private operators in Gippsland are invited to apply. Private operators will be asked to contribute $3 for every $1 received through the grants program.

This fund is part of the Government’s $515 million investment towards delivering the biggest ever transformation of the state’s waste and recycling industry, including major reforms like the new four service household recycling system and the container deposit scheme.

Applications for round one of the Regional Recycling Fund are open until 4pm on 9 March 2022. More information is available at www.vic.gov.au/regional-recycling-fund.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing

“I would encourage councils and recycling centres to apply for a share of this funding that will benefit households and business across Gippsland and create more local jobs.”

“This is a game-changing investment for Victoria’s recycling infrastructure and important step to the growing the regional recycling industry, reducing landfill.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

“Regional recycling centres are the building blocks for a robust recycling network that will drive current and future material recovery in regional Victoria and support the creation of regional circular economies.”