‘From gatehouse to dashboard — waste data done right’ is the catchcry of Cooee Data, a software platform designed to simplify waste facility gatehouse and reporting operations. Initially built for regional and rural facilities, it has steadily expanded its presence across Australia and now operates in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria.
The system’s success stems from its practical approach to customer processing at the gatehouse, daily site management, data collection, interpretation and dashboard reporting at the office, all delivered through a customisable interface that works seamlessly with standard hardware. Giles Perryman, chief executive officer of Cooee, said that customer satisfaction is strong and annual licenses are continuously renewed without hesitation.
“Our clients from small waste facilities to local shires all think Cooee Data’s ability to generate accurate waste data in mere moments is great.
“It saves them heaps of time and gives them the accurate data they need for mandatory waste reporting,” he said.
Cooee Data runs a streamlined onboarding process so even the busiest councils and contractors can integrate the app and system quickly.
Once a client signs up, the Cooee team of experienced consultants gathers the required information to set up its customised systems, and initiates staff training for the client with the aim to minimise disruption and make the transition as smooth as possible. Giles said that ease of setup was a fundamental design goal from the beginning.
“Getting set up with Cooee Data is simple,” he said. “We’ve made it so easy you can get our app, gatehouse recording system, and customisable dashboard on something as simple as a tablet, no scary IT hardware required.”
One feature Cooee is proud of is the app’s ability to operate even when mobile and internet signals are weak or unavailable, a common challenge in regional areas. The Cooee software will continue to function in an offline environment, ensuring uninterrupted service and data that will be saved and uploaded to the cloud when mobile service is available.
Digitising the everyday
One improvement to come from Cooee’s development has been the digitisation of the drumMUSTER process.
The long-running scheme allows farmers to return empty chemical containers for recycling. Up until recently, every transaction relied on carbon-paper forms, but upon feedback from clients, Cooee’s new system replaces those manual records with electronic data entry and instant document sharing.
Information is recorded digitally, signatures are captured on-screen and PDF copies are automatically sent to all relevant parties. The data is also aggregated, allowing facilities to see the number and size of containers received at any time. Giles said that digitising this process has transformed what was once a slow, paper-heavy task into a simple, transparent one.
“The sites that use Cooee have moved entirely away from paper,” he said. “Now the information goes in electronically, the farmer signs on the tablet, and a PDF automatically goes to the farmer, drumMUSTER and the waste facility.”
The same principle applies to Cooee’s other modules. Daily operational checklists help site staff record inspections, safety checks and incidents such as illegal dumping.
In addition, users can now log abusive customer behaviour, providing an auditable record that councils can review later. Giles said the intention was to give operators practical tools for real-world challenges.
“It’s automatically logged so if they’re repeat offenders, councils can go back to the data,” he said.
The software’s reporting model is designed for clarity. Built on SharePoint and Power BI, it gives users access to tailored graphs showing key performance indicators. Month-by-month comparisons of waste types, tonnages, revenues and recycling rates can be viewed instantly.
Designed for simplicity
For regional operators, simplicity is essential. Waste facilities are often staffed by people with limited IT experience, and many councils rely on temporary or rotating personnel to keep facilities open. Perryman said that the team was conscious of this from the start and designed Cooee to minimise complexity.
To support new or occasional users, Cooee now includes a suite of short instructional videos built into the system. Each video runs for one or two minutes and demonstrates key processes step by step.
“When you’ve got a council that size, if the person at the gatehouse is off sick, someone from admin can be parachuted in,” Giles said. “They can have a quick look at the videos and they’re off and running within minutes.”
Initial resistance from long-serving staff has often turned into enthusiastic support once they experience the benefits of the new system.
“We sometimes have people saying, ‘What’s wrong with paper?’” Giles said. “When we check in a week later and the overall consensus is, ‘Why wasn’t this introduced five years ago?’ They realise it’s so much better.”
Flexibility is another part of the system’s design. Cooee offers councils a range of optional features so that each installation matches their specific needs. This modular approach means there are no unnecessary tools or confusing options. Giles said that the process is designed to ensure every site gets a system that fits.
Cooee provides a checklist or shopping list at the beginning, according to Giles. There’s the basic Cooee package, and then additional functionalities like drumMUSTER or daily checklists. Cooee can be tailored to what a council needs without adding on irrelevant functions. This tailored model reduces helpdesk requests and ensures each site’s operators can focus on what matters most — accurate data and efficient daily operations.
Built by waste experts, not software developers
Cooee’s origins distinguish it from many competitors. The team members behind the system came from the waste industry itself as experienced waste consultants. Their first-hand understanding of operational challenges allowed them to build a system that matched real-world needs rather than theoretical ones. Giles said that this perspective shaped everything about Cooee’s development.
“We’re a bunch of wasters who identified that there was a problem at smaller regional facilities because there just wasn’t a cost-effective solution,” he said. “We knew the challenges, and we knew what the solution needed to be.”
This blend of industry expertise and technical skill has given Cooee an advantage. Its competitors are often weighbridge manufacturers or data firms expanding into waste management, while Cooee began with waste expertise and learned technology as needed.
“Ours is built from the ground up by people who know the industry,” Giles said. “We learned to develop great tech rather than tech people trying to learn waste.”
Looking ahead
While Cooee’s core users are small- to medium-sized councils and facilities, typically receiving quantities between 1,000-20,000 tpa, the system’s scalability has already been proven at larger operations. One construction and demolition waste processor manages around 300,000 tonnes of material annually and has chosen to use Cooee to handle its transactions.
However, Cooee does remain focused on the small- to medium-sized facilities that form its foundation. Many of these sites manage only a few thousand tonnes of waste per year and cannot justify expensive software packages.
“The smaller sites don’t want to be paying $20,000 to $25,000 a year for a bit of kit where they only use 20 per cent of the functionality,” Giles said. “They just want good data at a price that makes sense.”
Future plans include exploring opportunities in New Zealand, where similar rural conditions and council structures exist. The system’s modularity, offline capability and user-friendly reporting make it adaptable to almost any regional context. Giles said that the company’s satisfaction comes from creating a product that truly fits the needs of its users.
“We’ve made it slick, straightforward and relevant,” he said. “It’s not just software for the sake of it, it’s a system built by people who understand waste, for people who manage waste every day.”