Kerbside Waste and Recycling Composition Audit

⁠⁠⁠Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) is seeking quotations from suitably qualified providers to undertake a kerbside waste and recycling composition audit across the Central Highlands region in Queensland.

The audit will assess the composition of:

•  domestic kerbside general waste, and
•  domestic kerbside commingled recycling streams.

The objective is to generate current, statistically robust and defensible data to support:

•  waste management planning
•  recycling contamination reduction
•  regional behaviour change and education initiatives
•  improved resource recovery outcomes.

The audit must be undertaken in accordance with recognised Australian waste auditing practices and align with regional audit guidelines developed through CQROC. This includes:

•  representative sampling across key communities (including Emerald, Blackwater, Capella and the Gemfields)
•  stratified sampling across defined zones and dwelling types (including multi-unit dwellings)
•  statistically valid sample sizes and defensible methodology.

The scope of services includes:

•  development and agreement of audit methodology and sampling framework
•  coordination with Council and the kerbside collection contractor
•  collection, sorting and classification of waste into prescribed categories
•  recording and analysis of composition, contamination and recovery data
•  preparation of draft and final reports, including actionable insights
•  presentation of findings to Council officers and stakeholders.

Suppliers must also manage resident communications (including authority letters), and comply with all privacy, confidentiality and work health and safety requirements.

Location: Audit and sorting activities will occur within the Central Highlands Regional Council area. Specific locations will be confirmed with the successful supplier.

Timing: The audit is expected to commence following contract award (June 2026), with field work and reporting delivered in accordance with the project schedule outlined in the RFQ, with completion by September 2026.

Suppliers must demonstrate relevant experience in municipal waste composition audits and propose a methodology that is statistically robust, practical to deliver, and capable of generating insights to inform Council’s waste education and behaviour change programs.