Mildura Rural City Council has just started a 12-month trial of a new method to cover the Mildura Landfill tip face which promises to be more efficient and save thousands of dollars in annual waste levy fees.
Under Environment Protection Authority (EPA) guidelines all landfill operators need to cover the tip face on a daily basis to reduce the impact of odour and litter on nearby properties.
Up until now, like most local government areas, Council has been sourcing and using soil to perform this task, which attracts an EPA levy of $110 per tonne of soil applied to the tip face, as well as the need to purchase and transport the soil to the landfill.
The trial method instead utilises bentonite clay, which not only avoids the waste levy, but reduces the need to transport soil to and within the landfill site, further reducing dust impacts. The clay is applied to the tip face in liquid form, in a mud-like consistency.
Councillor for Environment and Sustainability Jason Modica said if the trial was successful it would provide a raft of benefits.
“While the trial has only been under way for a couple of weeks, it’s already showing promising signs of being able to effectively replace the traditional soil clean fill we’ve been using,” Cr Modica said.
“Our Waste team will continue to monitor the new method over the coming 12 months, which will allow them to assess its effectiveness in all conditions, taking in the colder months of winter, the often windy conditions we see in September and the warmer summer months.
“This will provide us with the data needed to make a decision on whether this can be a permanent measure, which will improve the way we manage our landfill by making it much quicker to cover the tip face each day, reduce movement of heavy vehicles on-site and reduce costs. If Council believes that this is more environmentally friendly and economically viable option then approval for the system will be submitted to the Victorian EPA.”
