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Overview

Landfills are an important part of Victoria's waste management infrastructure. The siting, management and rehabilitation of landfills requires a high level of design and features to be implemented to ensure that the environment is protected and community aspirations are met.

While landfills represent the least preferred waste management option, they will continue to be required in the future to manage those wastes that cannot currently be recycled or reused.

Landfill facilities that serve a population of 500 or more people require a works approval, which must be obtained from EPA before a landfill can be constructed. Landfills serving a population of 5000 people or greater are also subject to EPA licensing provisions.

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Best practice municipal landfill

The Industrial Waste Management Policy (Prescribed Industrial Waste) allows category C prescribed industrial wastes to be managed at best practice municipal landfills. Category C wastes are wastes that pose a low hazard and/or have potential amenity impacts. EPA Publication 996 – Guidelines for Hazard Classification of Solid Prescribed Industrial Wastes (Adobe PDF file, 198KB) provides further information on the hazard classification of prescribed industrial wastes.

EPA has released a draft guideline (Adobe PDF file, 132KB) that outlines best practice for landfills receiving category C prescribed industrial wastes. The draft guideline describes best practice in landfill siting, cell design, waste receipt and disposal, monitoring, reporting and community involvement.

At present, low-level contaminated soils and some other low-hazard prescribed industrial wastes (such as food processing waste and foundry sands) are managed at 25 landfills across the State, which are specifically licensed to receive one or more of these waste types.

The draft guidelines establish clear standards for those landfills licensed to receive Category C prescribed industrial wastes. These landfills would, where necessary, need to upgrade in the future to meet best practice standards.

EPA invited interested parties to comment on the draft guidelines and promoted an information session in June 2006. Rural landfill operators and others who were unable to make it to the information session, are encouraged to contact EPA to arrange a suitable time to discuss the draft guidelines.

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Siting, design, operation and rehabilitation of landfills

The EPA Publication 788 – Siting, Design, Operation and Rehabilitation of Landfills (Adobe PDF file, 851KB) is a source document of best practice environmental management measures for landfills.

It gives direction on the best practice siting, design, performance and rehabilitation standards for landfills commensurate with the risk they pose to the environment, and provides a guide for the measures required to meet legislative objectives.

It also provides a framework of environmental management objectives, required outcomes and suggested measures that may be used to achieve or surpass the objectives, encouraging innovative solutions rather than regulatory control.

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Landfill policy

The Waste Management Policy (Siting, Design and Management of Landfills) was declared in December 2004. The policy applies to all landfills in Victoria receiving solid non-prescribed waste and/or Category C prescribed industrial waste (such as low level contaminated soil).

The waste management policy (WMP) updates the previous State Environment Protection Policy (Siting and Management of Landfills Receiving Municipal Wastes). Since the State environment protection policy (SEPP) was introduced in 1991, the understanding of the impacts of landfills on the environment has improved, community values and expectations have changed, the institutional arrangements for managing waste have developed and the technological solutions for waste avoidance, reuse and recycling and managing landfills has improved.

The WMP was developed following extensive consultation and reflects these changes and provides a mechanism for the continuous improvement and the adoption of best practice by those responsible for the siting, design and management of landfills. This will enable the protection of the community and the environment from potential adverse impacts arising from the disposal of waste to landfill.

The EPA Publication 968 – Policy Impact Assessment – Waste Management Policy (Siting, Design and Management of Landfills) (Adobe PDF file, 317KB) provides an explanation of the policy.

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