Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
The Burdekin Shire Council has been formally lauded as one of Queensland’s leading innovators at the 2026 LGMA Awards for its world-first macroalgal facility.
The LGMA Awards for Excellence recognise outstanding achievement across statewide local government, with the Burdekin Macroalgal Facility, officially opened last year, acknowledged for its approach to sustainable infrastructure.
Mayor Dalle Cort said the award reinforced the Burdekin as a regional trailblazer.
“This recognition… demonstrates what can be achieved when we are willing to think differently,” Mayor Dalle Cort said.
“By taking a different approach, we’ve been able to improve environmental performance while also delivering long-term value for our ratepayers.”
Delivered in partnership with RegenAqua and Pacific Biotechnologies, the facility uses naturally occurring macroalgae to remove nutrients from wastewater, significantly reducing nitrogen and phosphorus entering waterways connected to the Great Barrier Reef catchment.
The system also produces macroalgal biomass that can be reused in agriculture and industry.
The LGMA recognition follows success at last year’s Queensland Water Awards, where the project took out the regional Infrastructure Project Innovation Award in October.
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