IPWEA Vic Blog

IPWEA (VIC) Information Series: Closed Landfill Seminar

New EPA Victoria Guidelines: Risk and Opportunities

16^th April 2013

City of Whitehorse Council Offices, Nunawading

IPWEA held a half day Closed Landfill seminar on the 16^th April 2013 in response to the recently released EPA Victoria Closed Landfill guidelines. The event, sponsored by leading environmental consulting firm Coffey, was attended by 45+ delegates and include presentations from EPA Victoria (Nick Simmons, Principal Waste Expert), an EPA appointed Environmental Auditor (Tim Marshall, Coffey), an Environmental Lawyer (Mark Beaufoy, King & Wood Mallesons) and a local government representative (Phil Warner, City of Whitehorse). The seminar provide a forum to learn about and discuss the implications of the new Closed Landfill guidelines. A summary of the key learnings from the day are summarised below:

• The new EPA Victoria Closed Landfills guidelines only apply to formerly licensed landfills. The new regulatory approach to closed landfills involves the use of supporting Pollution Abatement Notices (PANs), to develop environmental auditor verified site-specific monitoring and management programs.  The supporting PANs will then be revoked and a Post Closure (PC) PAN issued to facilitate implementation of the programs. This new  regulatory approach varies from the generic ‘broad brush’ approach used in the past and will assist councils to more effectively manage environmental risks and potential liabilities related to closed landfill sites.
• The environmental management of landfill sites is complex and needs to be undertaken on a cradle to grave basis, i.e. from landfill design and construction and operational management  through to post closure management and rehabilitation. Landfill design, construction and management is a highly specialised area and council should give careful consideration to the consultants, contractors and environmental auditors they engaged. Cutting corners or poor advice in early stages of the landfill life cycle may create significant and costly issues later.
• Closed landfills are a significant source of legal obligation and potential liability, as such councils need to proactively identify former landfill sites, both licenced and unlicensed, within their local government areas. This should initial involve desktop review, including the review of historical aerial photographs, to identify and prioritise former landfill sites for further investigation and management.  Community engagement is a key aspect of closed landfill management that should not be overlooked by councils.

Available Speaker Presentations:

EPA Closed Landfills Nick Simmons

Mark Beaufoy- Coffey IPWEA (Vic) Closed Landfill EPA Guidelines

Phil Warner – Landfill Presentation 16.4.13

Stephen Cambridge – Closed Landfill Loscoe and Cranbourne_v2

Tim Marshall Closed Landfill EPA Guidelines_An auditors perspective_TM

Download Program here

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The VAGO released a report on Managing Traffic Congestion on Friday 19 April 2013.  Take a look at the report here

Twelve recommendations were made in the report.  Of note is that VicRoads is to develop a strategy, in consultation with local councils, to better leverage the potential of clearways for managing congestion along the arterial road network.

It is also recommended that VicRoads:

• develops measures and targets for network efficiency and congestion management initiatives in consultation with stakeholders
• systematically reviews the efficiency and effectiveness of its operational management of the road system
• develops a strategy, including time frames, for implementing Network Operating Plans and activating SmartRoads priorities across the metropolitan road network
• improves the frequency and targeting of its traffic signal reviews by leveraging available congestion data from SCATS (Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System)

Seven of the recommendations relate to Department of Transport.

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