With University of Canberra Adjunct Prof Steve Burroughs, and UC students, the project involved developing concepts for a recycling business in Cherbourg to support Indigenous employment.

Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) has commenced work on a collaborative project with the Cherbourg Council, the University of Canberra, and remote architecture specialist Dr Steve Burroughs to establish a new materials recycling facility in Cherbourg, Queensland.

The project is developing an otherwise unused and incomplete recycling facility into a fully operational Indigenous social enterprise with both economic and social outcomes for Cherbourg and the surrounding communities and is anticipated to be operating by the end of this year. Dr Burroughs has been engaged by IBA to bring his architectural and remote building expertise to the project, linking to University of Canberra faculties and students, as well as to several other architecture, design and business planning experts.

The University is actively involving Education and Landscape Architecture students in the project; students from both faculties will be visiting Cherbourg to undertake several important components of the planning and design work. Education students will be working with the local schools to develop understanding of recycling, while Landscape Architecture students will be contributing to the planning and development of the facility itself.

Cherbourg Council is supporting the venture through engagement of staff and other assistance; while local residents are keen to start recycling waste material which presently goes to landfill. The project envisages a facility wholly managed and staffed by Indigenous people, who will undertake all aspects of the operation, from kerbside collection of recyclable materials, to sorting, processing and packaging those materials to be used again elsewhere.