1. Landfill Gas & Development Approvals:
Regulatory Requirements in Australian
Jurisdictions
Phil Sinclair

2. This is not Brookland Greens
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
A presentation for Clean Up 2013
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400m
Park
My place

3. Brookland Greens
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
A presentation for Clean Up 2013
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4. Brookland Greens
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
A presentation for Clean Up 2013
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5. Victorian Guidelines - 2010
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
A presentation to Clean Up 2013
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Buffer distances between Landfills and Receptors
Receptor Landfill Category
Type 2 (Putrescible) Type 3 (Solid Inert)
Surface waters 100 m 100 m
Landing grounds and airfields (piston aircraft) 1500 m 1500 m
Landing grounds and airfields (jet aircraft) 3000 m 3000 m
Buildings and Structures 500 m 200 m
- - the buffers are measured from the sensitive land use to the edge of the closest cell.
They should also consider other activities that can cause nuisance, e.g. leachate ponds

6. Queensland
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A presentation to Clean Up 2013
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Indicative Buffer Distances
Receptor Landfill Type
Putrescible Non-putrescible
Surface waters / ‘100 year flood plain’; 100 m 100 m
Landing grounds and airfields (piston aircraft) 1500 m 1500 m
Landing grounds and airfields (jet aircraft) 3000 m 3000 m
Unstable area 100 m 100 m
Noise, dust or odour sensitive place 500 m 200 m
Environmental Protection Regulation 2008; ERA 60; landfill; siting; operation; rehabilitation; EM2319

7. New South Wales
As with most jurisdictions, control is focussed on the source
site, less so on adjacent land
• A landfill should not be within 250 m of a residence
• If development proposed within buffer, developer must mitigate gas impact
• Records of historic, licensed municipal landfills are reasonable to good
• Records for historic, privately run landfills, not as complete
• Development consents are needed for remediation.
• Unclear if installing gas mitigation in the buffer zone = remediation and requires consent
• If methane in buffer zone >1.25%v/v, an EMP is required
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
A presentation to Clean Up 2013
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8. Tasmanian Guidelines - 2004
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Distance between Landfills and Sensitive Receptors
Receptor Landfill Category
A (Solid Inert) B (Putrescible) C (Secure)
Permanent
watercourses
(excluding farm dams)
50 m 100 m 100 m
Landing grounds and
airfields
10,000 m 10,000 m 10,000 m
Residences 300 m 500 m 500 m
- - - the regulator and planning authority should ensure both the landfill and the receptor
are constructed and managed using appropriate impact attenuation technologies.

9. South Australian Advice: Development near Landfills - 2012
SA EPA Information Sheet for planning authorities, landfill
owners and developers
• SA EPA commits to provide advice
• Development is defined as ‘a building or enclosure that may accumulate gas’
• Sets a buffer distance of 500m for all existing or closed landfills
• Advises what qualifications are needed for risk assessment of LFG for:
- a landfill <26,000 tonnes – a site assessor as per EP Act 1993
- a landfill >26,000 tonnes – a site contamination auditor as per EP Act 1993
• SA EPA is a referral authority for development approvals in the SA planning system
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
A presentation to Clean Up 2013
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10. Western Australia
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Landfills – Recommended buffer distances to sensitive use
Landfill type Waste type Recommended distance
Class I Inert 150m from single dwelling
Class II or III Putrescible 500m from residential development
Class II or III Putrescible 150m from single dwelling
Class IV Secure Case by case
Class V Intractable water Case by case
• Rehabilitation or Aftercare Plan may be needed for closed landfills
• Global review of landfill regulation and waste levies (Aug 2012) did not look at
development of land near landfills
• BPEM (draft) 2005 sets buffer distances

11. So back to Northcote
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A presentation for Clean Up 2013
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500m QLD, SA, TAS, VIC
250m NSW
150m WA
Home

12. Summing up
• Regulatory control of landfill gas-related
impacts are predominantly (and
appropriately) focussed on source sites
• Some controls in buffer zones around landfills
relate to residences, others to buildings and
structures that could accumulate gas
• Planning controls for buffer zones around
LFG sites are poorly developed and
inconsistent
• Some jurisdictions have better records of
where former landfills are located than others
• Another incident like Brookland Greens could
occur again
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
A presentation to Clean Up 2013
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13. Recommendations
• Develop a national, risk-based approach to
assessing development within a defined buffer zone
of existing and former landfills
• Planning approval should be for ‘a building or
enclosure that may accumulate gas’ (as far as
planning processes allow)
• Develop a national guideline or Australian
Standard; say like the aircraft noise standard for
Building Siting and Construction
• Geographic Information Systems seem suited
to the problem
• Perhaps a role for the CRC CARE in developing
these guidelines and standards?
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A presentation to Clean Up 2013
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14. Wednesday, 18 September 2013
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Thank you
Send any questions to
phil.sinclair@coffey.com