Hay Shire Council will receive over $900,000 to create a brand-new recycling facility for the region

The council will receive just over $900,000 in Commonwealth and state funding to go towards a brand-new 'Hay Materials Recovery Facility' servicing the Hay, Balranald, the Edward River, Murrumbidgee and Carrathool areas.

The money is part of a joint venture between the Commonwealth and New South Wales governments - putting over $20 million in grants to 19 new recycling infrastructure projects.

"Like many regional areas in Australia, all of Hay's kerbside collection goes direct to landfill, along with most of its other waste," Ms Ley said.

"This is a plant that will recycle 6,400 tonnes of waste every year, creating jobs during construction and operation."

The facility will house a sorter, crusher, shredder and a baler in order to recycle materials from normal plastics and glass to tyres and demolition waste.

The money comes as part of the Recycling Modernisation Fund, an effort from the Commonwealth government to prepare for the full waste-export ban being instituted in 2024.

When the ban comes into effect, Australia will have to recycle an additional 645,000 tonnes of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres each year, meaning the Hay plant at max capacity would fill roughly one per cent of the needed extra recycling capabilities.

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Ms Ley promised further announcements in the future.

Mayor of the Hay Shire Council Carol Oataway said that the project was still in it's early days.

"I guess it'll come before us in council - we'll have to wait until all that happens. We've only just been notified of the grant funding, it's only just been released," she said.

She added that she felt very positive about the development, and said it was 'wonderful.'

The Commonwealth government is hoping that the Recycling Modernisation Fund and other measures from Australia's National Waste Policy Action Plan will divert over 10 million tonnes of waste that would otherwise go straight to landfills.

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