Amanda Yeates explains what makes Maroochydore City Centre unique: a rare chance to build a greenfield CBD—the largest in Australia—where public infrastructure is designed to enable, not inhibit, economic development and social vibrancy from day one.
Amanda Yeates explains how Maroochydore’s greenfield status made automated waste collection and circular-economy design easier: with no retrofit constraints, innovation could be built in from day one—enabling Australia-first solutions planned from the earliest planning stages at the city centre.
Amanda Yeates shares why Envac appealed: it was a proven, internationally deployed alternative to traditional waste collection—already operating at scale (e.g., Korea). Introducing it at Maroochydore City Centre brought Australia’s first system of its kind, offering a reliable, modern solution.
Amanda Yeates explains when automated waste collection became central to Maroochydore’s plan: as sustainability and circular-economy goals met transit-oriented design, narrower streets and wider pedestrian/cycle space made trucks impractical—so Envac offered a cleaner, innovative way to move city-centre waste.
Amanda Yeates says Envac’s model can scale—from other city centres to new greenfield communities—delivering stronger sustainability and liveability. It takes leadership and bravery, but early Sunshine Coast results show real success and momentum for broader rollout across the country.
What are the sustainable benefits with changing methods for collecting waste, from the traditional to Envac? We talked to The City of Bergen.
Bergen is building it’s second waste collection station, including a state of the art show room for the waste collection and four office floors for the cleansing department BIR in the same building. The building has a green focus, with plants, behives on the roof, relax terrace for the staff and of course, Envac’s waste inlets around the entrance, to be able to show off the system in its real street environment.
Half as Interesting explores Roosevelt Island’s pneumatic waste system: an underground network that whisks trash through tubes to a central plant, reducing trucks, odour and kerbside bins—an entertaining look at how vacuum collection keeps dense neighbourhoods cleaner.
Business InsiderA Business Insider “World Wide Waste” video traces how Disney’s Magic Kingdom pioneered pneumatic trash tubes and how a similar AVAC network ended up serving New York’s Roosevelt Island—reducing curbside bins and truck traffic with fast, underground collection.
Discover how Envac’s innovative waste collection system is transforming the mobility landscape. By transporting waste underground, this revolutionary solution frees up the streets, creating a better city environment for pedestrians and bicycles.
Australia got its first underground automated waste collection system from Envac in the Maroochydore City Centre on the Sunshine Coast. This project is one of the ambitious developments that make the new Maroochydore City one of the smartest cities in the country. It is another step towards achieving the vision for the Sunshine Coast Council to be Australia’s most sustainable region. In the interview with Today Show Australia, the significance of reducing pressure on landfill, promoting recycling, and building a smart city is featured. Also, Envac’s Operations Engineer, Scott Mackie, explains how the system works in the interview. Watch now and share your thoughts with us.