Ti Tree Bioenergy Funding

The Ti Tree Bioenergy facility was established in 2002 in the suburb of Willowbank. In 2010, as a condition of the development approval at that time, it was determined that Ipswich City Council would receive annual payments of $120,000 plus a charge per tonne of waste processed above a specified amount. These funds were legally required to be used by council expressly on projects that delivered community and environmental benefit to offset any impacts from the facility. The operators of the waste facility have always maintained their enthusiasm in helping or contributing to the local community using these funds. At the time this was a unique arrangement in Queensland for a waste management facility working with a council.

On 25 February 2020 Council repealed a number of previous decisions concerning how Ti Tree Bioenergy payments were allocated and distributed, including the $5000 payment to the Willowbank Area Group. A new governance and management framework was developed, focused on improved reporting processes and transparency. The framework included assessment criteria for proposed community projects to provide a clear and rigorous process for approving projects and ensuring they provide the required community and environmental benefits. Projects are prioritised based on how well they meet the intent of the funding and this includes proximity and linkage to the perceived or real impacts of the Ti Tree facility. A working group was also formed, tasked with assessing and prioritising project proposals, and ensuring approved projects align with the intent of the funding.