Future Waste Planning

Council committed to making this information publicly available and is releasing it now as part of that commitment to transparency. The reports relate to work already completed under the previous investigation pathway and provide information about the assessment methodology and technical investigations undertaken to date.

Council’s recent resolution at the Extraordinary Meeting on Friday 18 June adopted a revised approach to future waste management planning. While the current investigation pathway has been paused, Council believes it is important that information already prepared is available to community.

No. As shown in the timeline (above), Council is currently in the Project Initiation Phase. The decision made in September 2025 was to further investigate the Blakebrook Quarry site, including preparation of a Concept Design and Business Case over 2026 and into 2027. A Concept Design is an early, high-level plan that tests whether a landfill could be designed and operated safely at the site and a Business Case is a structured, early-stage assessment that tests the value and risk of the project from a technical, environmental, social and financial perspective.

In September 2025, Councillors resolved to progress the landfill development project to the Concept Design and Business Case stage. Since then, Council has commenced concept design and business case investigations to assess the suitability of the Blakebrook site. The Business Case will bring together the full range of technical, environmental, social and financial information to support Councillors’ decision-making.

The next decision point will be whether to confirm Blakebrook as the site to proceed, progressing the project to the Project Approvals Phase including preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. This decision is expected in 2027.

No final decision has been made. Councillors will consider the outcomes of the Business Case before determining whether the project should proceed.

Council first used a technical screening process to look at potential sites across the Lismore Local Government Area (LGA). This process used consistent criteria such as planning controls, flood risk, access and environmental constraints to assess sites in a systematic way. Many locations did not meet these criteria and were ruled out early.

Council did not consult on sites that were not suitable to progress, as raising sites that are no longer being investigated could create unnecessary uncertainty for nearby communities.

Engagement has now commenced on the site that is being investigated further. Community feedback will help inform the Business Case, which Councillors will consider before deciding whether to confirm Blakebrook as the site to proceed.

Early feasibility work shows that a landfill for Lismore alone is unlikely to be financially viable. A regional approach provides the scale needed to deliver long-term waste capacity for Northern Rivers while keeping costs more affordable and meeting all environmental standards. This approach will be further tested and refined through the Business Case.

Blakebrook Quarry is an active quarry with existing approvals. How quarry operations would interact with any future landfill proposal is still under investigation and is being considered as part of the Business Case.

This includes examining potential staging and transition scenarios, including whether there could be a period where quarrying and landfill activities operate at the same time. No decisions have been made, and any approach would need to meet planning, environmental and safety requirements.

We have heard that traffic, truck routes and road safety are key community concerns. These will be assessed as part of future studies. If the Business Case and Concept Design are endorsed by Councillors in 2027, a formal Environmental Impact Statement would be prepared and include detailed traffic modelling, including vehicle types, haul routes, road upgrades and safety measures.

Protecting surface water, groundwater and downstream waterways is essential to the development, construction and operations of a new landfill. Flood risk, watercourses and groundwater were considered as part of site screening, and further detailed studies would be required through an Environmental Impact Statement before any approvals are considered.

Modern landfills are designed and regulated to protect surface water and groundwater from contamination. Key protection measures typically include:

• Engineered liner systems, consisting of multiple layers (such as compacted clay and synthetic liners) to prevent liquid movement into the soil and groundwater
• Leachate collection systems, which capture and remove liquid generated within the landfill cells so it can be treated and managed safely
• Groundwater monitoring bores, installed around the site to test and ensure groundwater quality
• Stormwater management systems designed to separate clean surface water runoff from landfill areas and safely control flows during rainfall events

These measures are supported by strict planning conditions and ongoing monitoring and compliance requirements enforced by the NSW Government.

Modern landfills are strictly regulated by the NSW Government through both planning approvals and environmental licencing.

A landfill must first obtain development consent under the NSW planning system, which assesses environmental, social and amenity impacts and includes public consultation.

If approved by the NSW Government, the facility would operate under a development consent and NSW EPA Environmental Protection Licence, with enforceable conditions for monitoring, reporting, rehabilitation and long term aftercare.

The NSW Government has ongoing oversight and strong enforcement powers to ensure both consent and licence conditions are met.

Reducing waste sent to landfill remains a strong priority for Council. Through its broader waste and resource recovery strategies, Council continues to focus on waste avoidance, reuse and recycling to divert as much material as possible away from landfill. However, even with these efforts, some residual waste will always remain.

Planning for a future landfill ensures this remaining waste can be managed safely and responsibly, alongside ongoing work to reduce the overall amount of waste going to landfill over time.

While concerns about property value are understandable, NSW planning law does not provide a general mechanism for compensation where a permitted development is lawfully approved and complies with its consent conditions. Compensation is typically associated with land acquisition or specific statutory triggers, rather than impacts arising from neighbouring lawful land uses.

The new landfill is being planned with a projected operational life of over 50 years. This long-term approach supports regional waste needs and avoids the need for frequent new facility development.

Funding sources are currently being identified as part of the Business Case development. Council will seek to leverage grant funding, partnerships, and operational revenue to deliver the project in a financially sustainable way.

The existing landfill at the Lismore Recycling and Recovery Centre (LRRC) will close once it reaches capacity.

If the proposed Blakebrook site proceeds, only landfill disposal of residual waste would transfer to the new facility. This would apply to Council’s waste collection trucks and commercial waste operators.

The LRRC would continue to operate as the main public facility for household waste and recycling drop off, the Return and Earn bulk collection depot, Revolve Shop, the Environmental Education Centre and other resource recovery activities.

The Nimbin Transfer Station would also continue to operate as the local drop off facility for residents of Nimbin and the surrounding hills.