East Gippsland Composting Facility Approved as Victoria’s FOGO Rollout Accelerates

Beveridge Williams has successfully secured planning approval for East Gippsland Shire Council’s new composting facility at Forge Creek, a key piece of infrastructure that will support the region’s transition to Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) recycling and help deliver Victoria’s circular economy objectives. The Beveridge Williams team led the planning approvals process and associated stakeholder engagement program, guiding the project through complex planning, environmental and community considerations to achieve a successful permit outcome.

The approved facility will provide East Gippsland Shire Council with the infrastructure required to process increasing volumes of food and garden organics generated through future kerbside FOGO collections. Once operational, the facility will play an important role in diverting organic waste from landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating beneficial end-use compost products for the region.

The project forms part of the Victorian Government’s Recycling Victoria reforms, which require all councils to introduce FOGO collection services by 2030. While many councils are focused on collection systems and community education, the success of the reforms ultimately depends on having appropriate infrastructure in place to process the material collected. For many municipalities, this will require significant investment in new composting facilities, transfer stations and resource recovery infrastructure over the coming years.

Navigating complex planning and community challenges

Facilities of this nature present unique planning and environmental challenges. While they deliver significant environmental benefits, they often attract community interest regarding matters such as odour, traffic generation, noise, runoff management, visual impacts and environmental protection.

Recognising these challenges from the outset, Beveridge Williams worked closely with East Gippsland Shire Council, specialist consultants and the broader project team to manage both the planning approvals process and stakeholder engagement program. This included coordinating the planning permit application alongside a concurrent EPA approvals process, delivering a comprehensive community consultation program, managing a range of specialist technical assessments and helping refine the proposal in response to issues raised throughout the approval process.

The final approved design incorporates a range of measures to address community and environmental considerations, including modified facility layouts, landscaping and water management measures. The outcome demonstrates the value of early, genuine engagement, robust technical investigations, and careful project planning when delivering critical infrastructure projects in regional communities.

With planning approval now secured, East Gippsland Shire Council can move forward with delivering the infrastructure needed to support future FOGO collections and reduce the region’s reliance on landfill. The project represents an important investment in sustainable waste management and provides a practical example of how councils can respond to Victoria’s evolving waste and recycling landscape.

Supporting Victoria’s transition to a circular economy

The East Gippsland composting facility is part of a much broader transformation occurring across Victoria’s waste and resource recovery sector.

As councils work towards mandatory FOGO implementation, many will need to identify suitable sites, secure planning approvals, undertake community consultation and navigate increasingly complex regulatory requirements. The demand for planning, environmental and stakeholder engagement expertise in this sector is expected to continue growing as local governments seek practical pathways to deliver the infrastructure needed to support the state’s recycling ambitions.

Having successfully guided East Gippsland Shire Council through the approvals process, Beveridge Williams is well positioned to support other councils facing similar challenges. Our multidisciplinary team brings together expertise in town planning, community engagement, surveying, engineering and project delivery, enabling us to assist clients through every stage of infrastructure planning and implementation.

Importantly, projects such as composting facilities require more than technical approvals alone. Success often depends on building community understanding, addressing stakeholder concerns, and integrating environmental, operational, and planning considerations into a clear, deliverable pathway. This is where an integrated advisory team can add significant value.

Looking ahead

As more councils across Victoria begin planning for the next generation of waste and resource recovery infrastructure, the lessons from East Gippsland are clear: successful outcomes require early strategic planning, meaningful community engagement and a coordinated approach to approvals and project delivery.

At Beveridge Williams, we are proud to have helped bring this project from concept to approval and look forward to supporting councils and government agencies across Victoria as they continue the transition towards a more sustainable and circular future.

If your organisation is planning waste, recycling or resource recovery infrastructure, Beveridge Williams can help navigate the planning approvals, community engagement and technical processes required to move projects from concept to delivery.