Maroochydore City Centre Automated Waste Collection System (AWCS)

Lucid is the lead consultant for the design and construction of Australia’s first Automated Waste Collection System (AWCS) to be implemented at the new Maroochydore City Centre.

The project comprises the installation of a 7km underground pipe network for waste transportation and a dedicated Collection Station facility to house plant, equipment and aggregated waste. Once completed, the highly engineered Envac Automated Waste Collection System (AWCS) will serve all public spaces and private developments throughout the 53ha site – putting the Maroochydore City Centre on the cutting edge of waste technology within Australia.

Lucid has unparalleled knowledge with AWCS in Australia, having worked with Envac since 2014 on various developments. Our involvement on the Maroochydore project with Envac and Sunshine Coast Council began in 2015. This collaborative work has included our investment in understanding the AWCS technology and implementation by inspecting sites in Korea and London.

With use of an AWCS, waste collection is removed from the street. Key benefits of the system include:

• Daily waste collection – removing the smell and vermin associated with putrescible waste decomposition associated with weekly waste collection.
• Waste removal on demand to prevent the overflow of bins on city streets and private premises.
• Removal of heavy waste collection vehicles from city streets. This provides multiple benefits including the ability to remove trucks from city centres (altering road design), elimination of noise disturbances associated with vehicle borne waste collection and the reduction of tailpipe carbon emissions associated with the waste collection process.
• Increase in recycling rates through segregated waste transportation.

Lucid is the only engineering consultancy in Australia with experience in designing the full AWCS system including central plant, infrastructure, public realm waste collection and private developments. In addition to our role below, Lucid has assisted in writing the Prescribed Waste Infrastructure Standard (PWIS) to which all future AWCS in the area must conform.

Our role on the Maroochydore project includes:

• Project lead consultant for both the underground pipe network and Collection Station facility for a multi-disciplinary design team including architects, civil, structural and acoustic engineers, building surveyors, landscape architects and representatives for the proprietary Envac AWCS.
• Detailed engineering design, coordination and risk management for AWCS to ensure compliance with Australian Standards and industry best practice.
• Project stakeholder management and liaison with local government, developers and specialist AWCS engineers.
• Community engagement through workshops and presentations allowing constituents of the local Council to gain an understanding and insight into the technology prior to implementation.
• Assist in developing training materials for other consultancies to be tested on to become accredited AWCS designers.
• Construction assistance with local contractors responsible for the installation of the AWCS.

The project is forecast to be completed in a staged manner up until 2040 with the first phase commissioned and set to work in 2020. Lucid is also undertaking design at multiple private developments including the Habitat and Holiday Inn projects.