Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) is undertaking a major project costing approximately $13 million to extend the life of the Toowoomba Waste Management Centre landfill off Hermitage Road at Cranley.
TRC Waste Services portfolio spokesperson Cr Melissa Taylor said Council had started work on constructing two new cells at the facility. The project is scheduled to be completed in mid-2026, weather permitting.
Cr Taylor said the vertical expansion project included the construction of two fully lined and engineered landfill cells above previously filled cells. The expansion can be likened to 'piggy-backing' on the existing filled waste cells.
"Making the best use of space at landfills means the vertical expansion works within the confines of the current landfill footprint," Cr Taylor said.
"The new cells will add around 500,000m³ of airspace. This will add up to five years to the landfill life before another cell will be needed, based on current demands.
"Residents' willingness to divert as many materials as possible from the general waste bin or when visiting the Greater Toowoomba Waste Management Facility means we are reducing the volume of material that ends up in our landfill, in line with Queensland Government waste reduction targets.
"Successfully achieving Queensland's ambitious waste diversion targets can help extend the life of the landfill even further.
"This has cost savings for Council and ratepayers, while also improving our environmental outcomes.
"This latest, two-cell, vertical expansion project is part of a progressive six-stage expansion planned at the site over 20 years on the current landfilling footprint. Work on stage one, which was the first vertical expansion project in Australia, was completed in late 2017. The second cell was opened in 2022.
"Expansion to the west of the existing landfilling operation at the Hermitage Road site has the potential to extend the life of the facility.
"Maximising landfill space by vertical expansion and extension onsite to the west is far cheaper than establishing landfilling operations at anew landfill site and offers better environmental safeguards."
Cr Taylor said the project involved multiple liners within the cell, essentially like a giant bin liner, above a drainage aggregate layer (a geosynthetic clay liner) containing the leachate system that is designed to capture any liquid in leachate tanks.
Cr Taylor said 30,000 tonnes of clay and 19,000 tonnes of gravel and rock for the drainage layer will be sourced from local quarries to be used in various earthworks.
"The project scope also includes a review, redesign and commissioning of a new downstream leachate system. The new system will help Council to remain complaint with the conditions of our Environmental Authority," Cr Taylor said.
"In addition, the new cells will expand the network of pipes installed that collect gas produced by the breakdown of organic waste within the new and existing cells to be used to supply power to our innovative project, in conjunction with Queensland firm LGI, which aims to supply up to 50% of the power needed to run the Wetalla Wastewater Reclamation Facility via a 1,000-kilowatt gas-fired generator."
Cr Taylor said specialist firm Hazel Bros had started work on the project with support from designers ATC Williams and Toowoomba civil engineering firm, Titus Civil Engineering. All three companies have a proven track record in delivering similar projects.
Caption: TRC representatives and contractors on the site of the vertical expansion project at the landfill site.
