When you need a development licence and permit for this activity
You must get a permission from us to conduct certain activities that have risk of harm to human health and the environment. These are called prescribed activities and are defined in Schedule 1 of the Environment Protection Regulations 2021.
Landfills pose many risks to human health and the environment. This includes odour, noise, contaminated groundwater from leachate, and landfill gas
Siting, managing and rehabilitating landfills requires a high level of design and management to protect the environment and meet community needs.
Under the Regulations, you need an A05b – Municipal landfills servicing less than 5,000 people permit to operate a municipal landfill facility occupied by a council servicing less than 5,000 people. This includes landfills that receive, discharge or deposit solid waste to land, including solid industrial waste.
This does not include landfills used only for the discharge or deposit solely to land of mining or extractive industry waste. These need to follow the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990.
Exemptions
Under some circumstances, you can apply for a development licence exemption or a permit exemption.
Related activities
To operate a landfill servicing 5,000 people or more, you need an A05a – Landfills (excluding municipal landfills servicing less than 5,000 people) development licence and operating licence.
Information to include in your application
When you submit your application in the portal, it must include certain information and supporting evidence. To learn more, visit Apply for a development licence or Apply for an operating licence.
If you're unsure of the type of permission you need, use our free permission pathway process before you start your application.
For this application, you must also provide:
Your A05b permit application should consider the intent of the Victorian Recycling Infrastructure Plan.
Site and previous compliance history
Where the site has already been used as landfill, you must include:
- A short history and description of landfilling activities at the site. Include:
- illustrations, tables and figures, as appropriate.
- date when landfilling started
- waste types and volumes landfilled
- waste cells and the sequence of cell filling.
- A summary of the site’s compliance and complaints history for the last 3 years. If any environmental or health and safety compliance issues or complaints, provide:
- a short description of the issue or complaint
- the response to prevent it happening again.
Screening for landfill sites
Provide a description of:
- The buffer distance between sensitive receptors. Confirm it’s available for the life of the landfill and for a minimum of 30 years following closure of the site. Illustrations may help. Refer to Separation distance guidelines and Landfill buffer guidelines.
- How you'll protect groundwater and surface waters and manage landfill gas.
- The most appropriate landfilling type to meet the requirements imposed by local conditions.
- The site layout, including GPS co-ordinates of the current and completed cells.
Landfill design and operation
Provide a description, with illustrations and figures, and a justification of:
- Your selection of the proposed landfilling type and key controls. For example, liner design and leachate and landfill gas collection systems. Landfilling type and associated controls must meet local condition requirements and the general environmental duty.
- Site layout, with considerations to minimising impacts to the environment and human health. For example, filling the site from the outer edge inwards. This means that completed cells can maximise the distance from the current tipping face to residences.
- Overall concept for the design (including capping) and layout of cells.
- Hours of operation.
- Size and capacity of existing infrastructure. For example, cells, leachate ponds and any landfill gas collection systems.
- Operational controls to be implemented. For example:
- waste acceptance – that is, measures to ensure only permitted waste types are disposed of at the site
- placement of daily cover
- daily site inspections.
If the municipality is not the landfill operator, provide:
- details of the operator (if known) or
- an outline of the selection criteria for appointing an operator.
Environmental assessment
You need to show you have a thorough understanding of the environment where the landfill will be. You must demonstrate that the design of the landfill will minimise impacts on the environment. This requires an environmental assessment that includes but is not limited to:
- assessment of landfill gas*, dust and odour controls
- assessment of the local meteorological data
- assessment of water management requirements
- details of chemical and fuel storage management
- climate change impacts of the proposal
- fire management plan
- hydrological assessment, including:
- depth to groundwater
- separation distance between the bottom of the waste layer (lowest point of the leachate sump) and the top of the long-term undisturbed groundwater
- potential impacts on local groundwater quality.
*Due to their small size, A05b landfills are unlikely to require an extensive or active landfill gas control system. However, an appropriate assessment should discuss and determine what controls will be fit for purpose. A passive landfill gas system – or potentially the use of passive biofilter or biocovers – can provide a cost-effective method of landfill gas control.
Characteristics of the liner and leachate collection system
Describe the characteristics of the liner and leachate collection system. Use illustrations and figures where appropriate. This includes but is not limited to:
- how it incorporates materials in construction and is designed to manage risks, so far as reasonably practicable
- how it prevents contamination of groundwater
- how it will be inspected and cleaned
- how it will continue to achieve objectives if several parts of the system fail
- information about its drainage layer (including thickness, conductivity and how far it extends)
- its geotechnical stability
- the maximum seepage rate for the design.
Water and groundwater management information
Describe the controls and systems in place to avoid any adverse impacts on environment or environmental values for water and groundwater. These should include but not be limited to:
- how stormwater, leachate and groundwater is segregated
- the water balance for the site and the estimated volume of leachate that will be generated
- facilities for leachate collection, storage, treatment, and disposal, including controls for:
- leachate escaping into surface waters or groundwater
- leachate causing offensive odours off site
- human contact with leachate
- a groundwater management plan
- stormwater diversion banks and/or cut-off drains and storage dams
- firefighting equipment and water supply
- wheel washes
- how the site will reuse water on site whenever practical.
Traffic management controls
Include information about traffic management controls to minimise:
- safety concerns
- noise
- grime on external roads.
Construction quality assurance plan
Include a construction quality assurance plan that makes sure your materials, construction methods and installation procedures deliver a landfill that meets design criteria.
Noise management controls
Include information about noise management controls. If required, include an assessment that demonstrates compliance with relevant noise limits and guidelines and reduced impacts to sensitive receptors. For example, where noise is considered an actual or potential concern.
Rehabilitation and aftercare
Give information about the cap design, rehabilitation and aftercare that has been considered for the landfill. This should include but not be limited to:
- the potential after uses of the site
- operational requirements to ensure that the capping is designed to suit the intended after uses
- surface contours before and after settlement
- specifications and materials to be used in the final cap
- installation and preservation of environment performance control or monitoring features
Environmental monitoring and auditing
Provide information on the:
- principles, objectives and frequency of environmental monitoring
- measures you will take to prevent any potential environmental impacts from the landfill.
The monitoring and auditing program should include but not be limited to:
- the environmental elements to be included in the program
- parameters to be monitored
- sampling point locations and associated sampling infrastructure
- sampling methods, with reference to the standards or procedures you will apply
- a schedule of monitoring frequencies for sampling or testing of each parameter, with justification for the frequency you will adopt
- proposed trigger levels and corrective actions you will take.
Note
The following waste cannot be accepted at a landfill:
- liquid waste
- pneumatic automotive tyres unless the tyres have been shredded into pieces not exceeding 250 millimetres in size measured in any dimension
- wastes prohibited for disposal to landfill by a national environment protection measure
- electronic waste (e-waste), other than smoke detectors and electronic waste that's dispersed in negligible quantities in wastes not otherwise prohibited from disposal at a landfill
- used oil filters
- rigid steel or plastic containers with an original volume equal to or greater than 200 litres contaminated with reportable priority waste (transport).
Application fee
For a list of current fees and how they're calculated, visit Fees. An extra fee may apply if we need more time than specified in the Regulations to assess your application.
If an application fee applies, we cannot assess your application until we've received and processed this fee.
How long your permit or licence is valid for
Your permit is valid for 5 years. The duration of a development licence depends on the activity.
Your development licence is for the lifespan of the landfill. This can be 20 years or more, but every licence is different.
How we assess your application
Find out how we assess your application and how long it takes.
Permit conditions
Permission conditions outline the legal obligations for the permission holder. They set up a framework for risk management, record keeping and reporting.
Where a condition includes:
- the word 'placeholder', values will be populated with information that's specific to your site
- a reference to a 'figure' or 'appendix', information will be populated that's specific to your site.
'Authority' means Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
Other conditions may apply.
Conditions for development licences are specific for each licence.
| Condition code | Description |
| PER_G01 | A copy of this permit must be kept at the activity site and be easily accessible to persons who are engaging in an activity conducted at the activity site. Information regarding the requirements of the permit and the Act duties must be included in site induction and training information. |
| PER_G02 | You must immediately notify the Authority by calling 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) in the event of: a) A discharge, emission or deposit which gives rise to, or may give rise to, actual or potential harm to human health or the environment; b) A malfunction, breakdown or failure of risk control measures at the site which could reasonably be expected to give rise to actual or potential harm to human health or the environment; or c) Any breach of the permit. |
| PER_G03 | You must notify the Authority within 48 hours of the occurrence of any the following: (a) Any change to your name or address (including your registered address and site as applicable); or (b) A change to an officer (as defined in the Act). You must update the EPA Interaction Portal if any other relevant administrative details for your business change." |
| PER_G04a | You must provide the Authority with a Permission Information and Performance Statement (PIPS) in the form determined by the Authority within 2 months of receiving notification in writing from the Authority. The PIPS may be released to the public (in whole or in part). |
| PER_G04b | Information and monitoring records used for the preparation of, inclusion in, or support of, any reporting or notification that is required of you by the Authority (including data reporting, performance reporting, documents evidencing any risk and monitoring program) must be: a) retained for five years; and b) made available to the Authority on request. |
| PER_G05 | 1. You must develop a risk management and monitoring program for your activities which: (a) identifies all the risks of harm to human health and the environment which may arise from the activities you are engaging in at your activity site; (b) clearly defines your environmental performance objectives; (c) clearly defines your risk control performance objectives; (d) describes how the environmental and risk control performance objectives are being achieved; (e) identifies and describes how you will continue to eliminate or minimise the risks in 1(a) (above) so far as reasonably practicable (SFARP); and (f) describes how the information collated in compliance with this clause, is or will be disseminated, used or otherwise considered by you or any other entity. 2. The risk management and monitoring program must be: (a) documented in writing; (b) signed by a duly authorised officer of the licensed entity; and (c) made available to the Authority on request. |
| PER_L01 | You must ensure that: a) Waste that is accepted for disposal at the site is only placed into cell(s) listed in Appendix 7; and b) Waste for disposal is not placed outside of the perimeter of any cell(s) listed in Appendix 7. |
| PER_L02 | Waste in the cell must be managed to minimise the emission of odours, the release of litter, and to avoid vermin being attracted to the activity site. |
| PER_L03 | You must ensure that surface water is collected and directed away from the landfill. |
| PER_L04 | Waters contaminated by leachate must not be discharged beyond the boundaries of the site. |
| PER_L05 | You must: a) limit the tipping face of each cell to less than [placeholder1] in length and [placeholder2] in width; b) only operate one tipping face at any time unless a second tipping face is required for short term operational reasons; and c) ensure the active tipping face is mechanically stable. |
| PER_L06 | All waste in the waste filling areas or cells, apart from the active tipping face, must be covered at all times. |
| PER_L07 | By the end of each [placeholder1] operations, waste must be covered in one of the following ways: a) with a layer of soil at least 0.15 metres thick if the waste is only solid inert waste; b) with a layer of soil at least 0.30 metres thick for all other wastes; or c) using alternative cover approved by the Authority in writing. |
| PER_L08 | You must ensure that waste that has been previously deposited at the activity site is not recovered and reprocessed. |
| PER_L09 | You must ensure that waste is not stockpiled at the activity site except in accordance with written approval from the Authority. |
| PER_L10 | You must notify the Authority of your intention to commence construction of a new landfill cell at the activity site by written notice. |
| PER_L11 | You must develop and implement a rehabilitation plan for the landfill. The plan must: a) be revised as required after each area or cell is full; b) set timeframes for the final capping of all completed areas or cells, calculated from the date that the area is (or is to be) completed or cell is (or is to be) full; and (c) be made available to the Authority on request. |
| PER_L11.01 | You must implement a rehabilitation plan for the landfill. The plan must: a) be revised as required after each area or cell is full; b) set timeframes for the final capping of all completed areas or cells, calculated from the date that the area is (or is to be) completed or cell is (or is to be) full; c) set timeframes for the progressive capture and treatment of landfill gas and leachate from each completed cell; and (d) be made available to the Authority on request. |
| PER_L12 | You must place intermediate cover on all cells within one month of the date that the cell becomes full. The intermediate cover must be comprised of: a) a minimum of 500 mm of compacted clay; b) compacted clay rich soil; or c) alternative cover approved by the Authority in writing. |
| PER_L13 | In circumstances where the deposit of waste in a cell is likely to cease for a period of three months or more, you must place intermediate cover on the cell within one month of the date that waste was last placed in the cell. The intermediate cover must be comprised of: a) a minimum of 500 mm of compacted clay; b) compacted clay rich soil; or c) alternative cover approved by the Authority in writing. |
| PER_L14 | You must complete final capping of all cells within 2 years of the date that cell becomes full. |
| PER_L15 | You must keep a register of waste information. The register must: a) record the type and quantity of waste accepted at the activity site; b) record the date on which this type of waste is accepted at the activity site; and (c) be made available to the Authority on request. |
| PER_L16 (specific) | You must ensure that a member of staff is present at the activity site to oversee the acceptance of waste. |
| PER_L17 (specific) | You must take measures to prevent hotspots in the waste mass at the landfill site. |
| PER_WM01 | You must ensure that: a) Only waste of a type shown in Appendix 4 of this permit is accepted at the activity site; and b) if any waste is received at the activity site that is not of a type shown in Appendix 4, that this waste is placed in a designated and clearly sign-posted temporary storage area and is transported to a site which is authorised to receive this waste within 21 days of the date it was received. |
| PER_WM05 | You must maintain an effective method of security which prevents unauthorised access. |
Manage your licence or permit
To amend, transfer or surrender your licence or permit, visit Manage your permission.
Guidance
- Section A of the Landfill licensing guidelines can assist landfill operators and environmental auditors with ongoing environmental management of the landfill and with getting approval for construction of new landfill cells at existing landfills.
- Siting, design, operation and rehabilitation of landfills describes best practice environmental management measures for landfills in Victoria. It takes into account the risk landfills pose to the environment and provides a guide for the measures required to meet legislative objectives.
- Best practice guidelines for landfills receiving Category C prescribed industrial waste establishes standards for landfills licensed to receive Category C prescribed industrial wastes.
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