Tread wears on facility
Project to recycle old car tyres
THE company behind an approved tyre recycling plant planned for Toowoomba will consider abandoning the project if it can’t secure public funding.
Green Distillation Technologies will again attempt to earn $5 million in funding from the State Government’s $100 million Resource Recovery Industry Development Program, which it was rejected for back in June.
The project, which turns old car and truck tyres back into re-usuable elements like oil, carbon and steel, has since made changes to its application based on suggestions by the Department of State Development.
Company COO Trevor Bayley said he was optimistic about GDT’s chances for the second stream of funding.
“The department offered to run through the previous application and pointed out some omissions and we’ve amended it,” he said.
“There’s been some progress since we last applied, mainly with our capacity to do what we say we’re going to do, and also we’re enhancing the value of the carbon product that we produce.
“I was very optimistic the first time around, because Queensland has proven to be a little more progressive with this style of project.”
If approved and funded, the new $10 million plant would be established in Wagner Corporation’s Wellcamp Business Park.
Mr Bayley said the company had enjoyed interest from three other cities across Australia, but said his preference right now was still in Toowoomba.
“We get inquiries all over the place, where people want us to build a plant in our location,” he said.
“We’ve identified Toowoomba as a significant and viable site, and we’ve got the approvals from the council.”
But Mr Bayley said if he couldn’t secure funding from the State Government this time, it could kill the project’s chances in Queensland.
“That is a definitely a possibility – I’m the eternal optimist, so my outlook is still rosy,” he said.