Planning and Development of New Landfill Site
This section provides current information on the status of the new landfill with respect to planning, approval, design and development. A range of site selection studies have been completed to determine a suitable site for the proposed new landfill. A site selection study was completed in March 2004 with a site located 12 km east of Armidale selected for further assessment. This site includes land from "Edington" and "Sherraloy" properties which are accessible off Waterfall Way.
The community will be kept informed at all times about the Environmental Assessment and concept design at key project development stages.
How to find and use this information: You will find below, planning and development information on the proposed landfill facility. Some of the information may have an attachment relating to the subject. If this is the case, it will be hyperlinked directly to it. The attachments may also be found at the bottom of the page. If you have any concerns, please contact council or fill out the 'Make a request' form available below.
New Landfill Project Schedule - January 2009 Program | May 2008 Program | October 2006 Program | April 2006 Program.
The project plan is a schedule of the New Landfill Project. Please download the project plan to see the proposed project schedule. The most recent project update is January 2009.Concept Design
A preliminary concept design will be prepared in parallel with the Environmental Assessment.The concept design of the landfill has been prepared in accordance with the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation Environmental Guidelines for Solid Waste Landfills. These environmental guidelines focus on the environment management of landfills and describe how the landfill should be constructed, operated, closed and rehabilitated to minimise environmental impacts.
Prevention of water pollution is one of the key environmental goals of the proposed landfill.
* The barrier system will be installed at the base of the landfill.
* Preventing water from entering the landfill by diverting surface water away from the landfill area.
* The waste will be routinely protected to minimise ingress of water.
* Installing a final capping layer over landfill areas in which no more waste is to be placed.
* Water which has come into contact with waste (leachate), will be collected from the landfill and will not be permitted to enter any rivers or creeks. A leachate pond will be used that will be designed so that it can hold all of the leachate produced. The leachate will managed and may involve a combination of irrigation over areas of the landfill, evaporation in the leachate pond and re-injection into the landfill (this assists the biodegradation process).
* A temporary sedimentation pond, to prevent rainwater containing sediments (soil, etc) from entering the Gara River.
The Landfill will be landscaped with native vegetation. Landscaping will aim to reduce the visual impacet of the new landfill and provide a wildlife corridor for fauna.
The concept design of the proposed landfill is available for download. Please note, that the concept design shows the final layout of the landfill, at time of closure after a perios of appromimately 50 years. Due to the long lifespan of the landfill, it will be developed in stages. The staged development of the landfull minimises the area of land disturbed at any one time. The landfill will be divided into five segments (cells) which will each take approximately 10 years to fill with waste.
Map
A map of the proposed new landfill site is presented. The hatched area includes a buffer zone to allow the incorporation of various landscaping and design measures.
The proposed new landfill site is yet to be confirmed.
The proposed site will be subject to a rigorous approvals and environmental assessment process.
At this stage of the project development, we are at the preliminary site investigations, which will confirm the suitability of the site for use as a landfill.
Approvals Process
Details on the approvals process and requirements for assessment.
Over the past few months, the NSW planning system and the Department of Planning (DoP, previously the Department of Infrastructure Planning and Natural Resources) has been subject to major reforms.
The principal environmental planning instrument (EPI) in NSW, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act), now incorporates a new set of provisions under Part 3A to assess projects classified as ?Major Projects?. Following the commencement of Part 3A on 1 August 2005, the proposed new landfill is identified as a Major Project under the associated State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Projects) 2005. Approval for the new landfill site will be determined by the Minister for Planning (NSW Government).
For further details on the NSW Planning Reforms, visit
www.planning.nsw.gov.au/planning_reforms/index.asp
A Planning Focus Meeting was held on 9 June 2005 with representatives from relevant Government agencies. Director General Requirements have subsequently been issued by the then Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (now Department of Planning) for the Environmental Assessment. These form the scope of the Environmental Assessment.
The Environmental Assessment will be publicly exhibited for community comment over a 6 week period. Written submissions are welcome at this stage and will be considered prior to a decision being made on whether to proceed with the project or not.
What Is Currently Happening
March 2005 to January 2006 - Preliminary site investigations are currently being undertaken at the proposed new landfill site.
These investigations include:
* Hydro geotechnical study to analyse the soils, geology and groundwater in the immediate area. This has involved the use of a drilling rig to bore test holes.
* Flora and fauna surveys to determine the extent of species present or potentially present on the site and any species which may be threatened or endangered. An autumn survey has been completed and a spring survey is scheduled in March 2006.
Preliminary site investigations have been undertaken which do not identify any issues that would preclude the selected site for use as a landfill. We have therefore progressed to the next stage, which will be to further investigate the use of the proposed site as a landfill. We are now able to start the concept design and environmental assessment stages. These stages will be undertaken concurrently together to influence design and inform assessment. Details of the next stages are:
Environmental investigations to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction and development of a new landfill. The environmental assessments include hydrology (surface water and ground water), flora and fauna, archaeology and cultural heritage, noise, air quality, traffic and transport, land use, visual impacts and amenity.
Concept design to ensure that the landfill is designed in accordance with NSW Department of Environment and Conservation Environmental Guidelines for Solid Waste Landills.
February 2006 to current
The Environmental Assessment is now being prepared, which will assess the potential impact to the environment from the operation of the new landfill. The assessment will examine aspects relating to:
- the physical environment - land use, soils, surface water, ground water, air quality, noise
- biological environment - flora and fauna, pests and weeds
- community issues - social, economic, heritage, traffic, amenity and hazards.
Liaison with government departments is being undertaken, in order to clearly identify any issues that should be addressed during the preparation of the Environmental Assessment. The following NSW government departments have been consulted with:
- Department of Environment and Conservation
- Department of Natural Resources
- Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority
- Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries
- Rural Lands Protection Board.
The local Aboriginal community is also being consulted with, to determine if items or areas of indigenous significance are located on the proposed new landfill site.
About the Proposed New Landfill
Details such as capacity, waste acceptance criteria and life of the proposed new landfill are presented here. This will influence the design and environmental assessment.
The following details the requirements for the new landfill which will influence the concept design and environmental assessment.
Capacity and Waste Acceptance
The new landfill will be designed as a Solid Waste Class 1 landfill (i.e. designed so that it may accept putrescible wastes). The new landfill will not be licensed to accept clinical (hospital) waste and chemicals.
It is intended for the proposed regional landfill to accept over 750,000 tonnes over the life of the landfill. It is anticipated that approximately 15,000 tonnes will be diverted to the landfill annually from the Armidale Dumaresq, Uralla and Guyra Local Government Areas.
Based on the capacity of the proposed new landfill, and estimated annual waste acceptance quantities, the life of the new landfill will be in the order of 50 years.
Development Area
The total development area would be approximately 100 hectares, including buffer zones. The footprint of the landfill within the development area however will be determined further during the concept and detailed design phases.
Landfill Operation
An Environmental Protection Licence from the Department of Environment and Conservation will be sought if the proposed new landfill is approved. If the new landfill is approved, stringent environmental conditions will be set for the management and operation of the new landfill over its entire life.
There will be no direct public access to the landfill. Waste will continue to be received and processed at the existing waste transfer station on Long Swamp Road, with non-recyclable wastes being compacted and transported to the new facility.
Alternative Waste Technologies
Armidale has an enviable record of achievement in Waste Management. In 2004 Armidale came first in NSW for its category of Council for recycling, which is now at 450Kg per capita, an increase of some 50% in the last 5 years. In 2003, Armidale opened its new Waste Transfer Station at the Long Swamp Road landfill site. This means all refuse is sorted for maximum recycling, green waste is composted and strict control is exercised over the type of refuse going to landfill.
Council aims to dramatically increase recycling to the point of reducing landfill by 60% - 80% in the next decade. Armidale Dumaresq Council will therefore continue investigating alternative waste processing facilities and/or resource recovery facilities at the existing Waste Transfer Station at Long Swamp Road, with the overall aim of diverting wastes from the landfill.
Environmental Assessment
The approvals process requires the preparation of an Environmental Assessment in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Approval will be sought from the Minister for Planning (NSW Government).
Any prospective landfill site will be subjected to the most rigorous investigation. This will be done through the completion of an Environmental Assessment which will be prepared in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 for submission to the Minister for Planning (NSW Government).
A range of investigations will be undertaken as part of the Environmental Assessment, including:
* Hydrology and water quality
* Soils, geology, landform,
* Flora and fauna,
* Archaeology and cultural heritage,
* Noise,
* Air quality and odour,
* Traffic and transport,
* Landuse, landscape and visual amenity,
* Social and economic assessments.
The results of these investigations will assist in the assessment of environmental issues and planning for the site. A preliminary concept design for the proposed new landfill site will also be prepared in parallel with the Environmental Assessment.
Community input is also important and essential to ensure that a solution that best satisfies community interests is achieved.
Contact details
Armidale Dumaresq Council
02 6770 3600 (ph)
council@armidale.nsw.gov.au
| Online Services |
|
Download files Armidale Regional Landfill Project Program, January 2009 (pdf 90 kb ) Armidale Regional Landfill Project Program, April 2006 (pdf 101 kb ) Armidale Regional Landfill Project Program, October 2006 (pdf 96 kb ) Armidale Regional Landfill Project Program, May 2008 (pdf 90 kb ) Concept Design (pdf 257 kb ) Site Location Map (pdf 294kb) |
||
