Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) will assess a works approval application it has received from Landfill Operations Pty Ltd to extend its Melbourne Regional Landfill at Ravenhall.
The proposal is for extension to the existing landfill to continue receiving the same waste types, including the disposal of municipal solid waste, low level ‘Category C’ contaminated soil and solid inert waste within part of the quarry void resulting from future Boral quarrying operations.
Further details on the facts of the works approval application are provided in the background section below.
Landfill Operations’ proposal would need both planning permit approval and EPA works approval.
The Minister for Planning has called in the planning permit application lodged by Landfill Operations to Melton City Council. The call-in enables the works approval and planning permit to be considered in parallel.
The details of any joint advertising and the consultation process are currently being developed and will be publicised within the next two weeks.
An independent planning panel will consider all submissions in relation to the works approval and planning permit. While the planning panel will hear submissions relating to both applications, decisions on each application will be made separately.
Landfill Operations initially submitted its works approval application on 29 February 2016 but a review of the application found further technical information was needed in order for EPA to properly assess the proposal.
Works approvals are issued by EPA Victoria under the Environment Protection Act 1970. They are required for industrial and waste management activities that have the potential for significant environmental impact.
Background
- The proposed extension would receive the same waste types as the existing EPA licensed landfill facility, namely: Putrescible waste; Non-putrescible waste (Solid and Inert Waste); Tyres shredded into pieces less than 250mm; and Category C (low level) contaminated soil, with no asbestos accepted.
- Landfilling would occur in 16 landfill cells (on a footprint of 210ha), in a larger works approval site of 347 ha that would also accommodate surface water runoff ponds, leachate dams, landfill gas collection equipment, bunds and other land that will not be used for waste disposal.
- At any one point in time, the active operational landfill face where waste would be deposited is 0.18 ha.
- The extension is proposed to operate for a 30 year period, to 2055, and would have a total volume of air space of 53 million cubic metres.
- The extension has been designed to comply with EPA’s Best Practice Environmental Management Siting, design, operation and rehabilitation of landfills guidelines.
- After closure of the landfill facility, the site would be rehabilitated and opened in stages for use as public open space including recreation and community gatherings.