A feasibility study commissioned by Wine Australia has found that establishing regional collection points for discarded CCA-treated vineyard posts in South Australia is both viable and beneficial — offering a safer and more sustainable way to manage this challenging waste stream.
The study, conducted by Rawtec with co-funding from Green Industries SA and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), identifies 15 priority locations across key wine regions — particularly the Riverland and Limestone Coast — for potential aggregation sites. These sites could serve as controlled drop-off points for growers disposing of unwanted CCA- or creosote-treated posts.
Growers currently struggle to find safe and cost-effective disposal options. Stockpiling on-site is the most common practice. Burning or burying posts is illegal and environmentally harmful, while landfill disposal can be costly and logistically difficult, particularly for smaller operators.
The study recommends that aggregation sites use existing waste or industrial sites, known as ‘brownfield’ locations. This would significantly reduce setup costs and leverage existing infrastructure, while also addressing key safety, environmental and regulatory concerns.
The report concluded that although an aggregation site does not come without risks and costs, these are manageable and consistent with other risks related to waste and recycling management.
“A CCA vineyard post aggregation site presents an important and necessary step for managing SA’s growing stockpile of end-of-life CCA vineyard posts,” the report says.
Wine Australia’s Senior Research & Innovation Manager, Alex Sas, says the lack of aggregation sites with known volumes of posts is a barrier to entrepreneurs looking to provide a solution to the waste issue. “This study takes us one step closer to providing a circular solution for all treated timber posts for regions across Australia.”
The study is among several initiatives by the grape and wine sector to reduce stockpiles of CCA-treated timber and enable future reuse, recovery or recycling.