Hume City Council will permanently close Sunbury Landfill in Melbourne’s north-west.
The closure will not impact local residents as the landfill is exclusively used by commercial account holders. The Sunbury Resource Recovery Centre will remain open.
The landfill initially stopped accepting waste in July 2023 following the move from contractor to council employed resources. The council has since sought strategic advice on the viability of running the site into the future.
Council said the feedback suggests that with a growing push towards a circular economy that encourages recycling, and increasing strategies to divert material away from landfill, the tonnes of waste typically received by Sunbury Landfill will be drastically reduced in the coming years.
The landfill was originally scheduled to close by 2030. Bringing the closure forward is in line with the State Government’s aim to divert 80 per cent of material away from landfill.
The process of permanently closing the landfill is estimated to take up to three years to complete in accordance with Environment Protection Authority guidelines. This includes the design and construction of final capping and management of any identified risks, and will be followed by ongoing requirements for aftercare, environmental monitoring and management.
The Sunbury Resource Recovery Centre, including the Recycled Goods store, remains operational for residential and public use. There are also no changes or impacts to the kerbside garbage collection services for residents as a result of the closure.
For more information, visit: www.hume.vic.gov.au
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