QUANTITIES OF WASTE AT LANDFILLS
1 The data presented in table 8 was produced using administrative by-product data from state and territory government departments and Environment Protection Authorities (EPAs) for quantities of waste received and disposed of at landfills.
2 This information relates to waste received from households and businesses across the economy, not just businesses in the waste management services sector.
3 Caution should be exercised in making any comparisons across states and territories as the data provided is not strictly comparable due to the variation in state/territory legislation, scope, concepts and definitions.
4 The following information provides a description of the scope and nature of each state's/territory's data.
New South Wales
5 The waste disposal data provided for New South Wales represents all solid and inert waste disposed to licensed landfills in the Sydney Metropolitan and Extended Regulated Areas during 2002-03.
6 Licensing applies to landfills that receive more than 5,000 tonnes of solid and/or inert waste per annum or are within an environmentally sensitive area. Liquid waste is banned from licensed landfills in New South Wales.
7 Any landfill receiving more than 20,000 tonnes of solid and/or inert waste per annum is required to use a weighbridge. All waste disposed in the Sydney metropolitan area and most of the extended regulated areas is weighed via a weighbridge.
8 Cover material is reported under the waste stream it was received from (i. e. commercial and industrial, construction and demolition, domestic or municipal), if disposed to landfill. This includes soil, clean excavated natural material, and virgin excavated natural material.
Victoria
9 The waste disposal data provided for Victoria represents all solid, inert and prescribed waste disposed to licensed landfills in the Melbourne Metropolitan and Rural Areas during 2002-03.
10 Licensing applies to landfills that serve more than 5,000 people. Liquid waste is banned from landfills in Victoria.
11 The data reported for Victoria were mainly based on weighbridge weights, however, a small amount of data was based on volumetric estimates. Waste sent to unlicensed landfills (small municipal landfills serving less than 5,000 people) was excluded from the data, however, this was considered relatively small.
12 The 'other' category for Victoria includes Prescribed Industrial Wastes only. Prescribed industrial wastes (listed in the Environment Protection [Prescribed Wastes] Regulations 1998) are generated from industrial sources and include hazardous wastes and other wastes that affect amenity e.g. via odour impacts).
13 Cover/Clean Fill material for Victoria was included in the different types of wastes.
14 Cover material is dense, inert and incombustible material used to cover the waste usually at the end of each days operation. This material is used to prevent odour, litter, etc., from escaping the landfill and is typically Clean Fill.
15 Clean Fill consists of soil (being clay, silt, sand), gravel and rock, all being naturally occurring materials. Contamination levels must be less than those levels specified by EPA Victoria, otherwise the material must be described as prescribed industrial waste, namely contaminated soils (low level) or contaminated soils.
16 Some landfills licensed to receive contaminated soils (low level), which is a prescribed industrial waste, may use this material as cover, as well as Clean Fill.
Queensland
17 The waste disposal data provided for Queensland represents all solid, inert and regulated waste disposed to licensed landfills in the Metropolitan and Rural Areas during 2002-03.
18 Licensing applies to landfills that receive more than 50 tonnes of solid and/or inert waste per annum. Liquid waste is not landfilled in Queensland.
19 The data reported for Queensland were mainly based on weighbridge weights. A small amount of data was based on volumetric estimates (for small landfills). Waste sent to unlicensed landfills was excluded from the data, however, this was considered relatively small.
20 Data in 'other' is predominantly Cover material, but also includes Regulated Waste. Cover material includes Clean Fill, certain inert wastes as well as some low level contaminated soil. Regulated wastes are listed in the Environment Protection Act 1994, and include lead, certain acids and acid solutions, heat treatment salts, lime neutralised sludges, as well as other regulated wastes. There was 94,567 tonnes of regulated waste during 2002-03.
South Australia
21 The waste disposal data provided for South Australia represents all solid, inert and liquid waste disposed to licensed landfills in the Adelaide Metropolitan and Rural Areas during 2002-03.
22 Licensing applies to landfills that receive solid and/or inert or liquid waste.
23 The data reported for the Metropolitan area were based on weighbridge weights. Data for landfills in non-metropolitan areas disposing of more than 10,000 tonnes of solid waste per annum were also based on weighbridge weights. Data for most council landfills that receive less than 10,000 tonnes of solid waste per annum were based on population based estimates.
24 South Australian estimates include Waste Fill. Waste Fill includes clay, concrete, rock, sand, soil or other inert mineralogical matter in pieces not exceeding 100mm in length, and containing chemical substances in concentrations (calculated in a manner determined by the Authority) less than the concentrations for those substances set out in Schedule 6, but does not include waste consisting of, or containing, asbestos or bitumen.
Western Australia
25 The waste disposal data provided for Western Australia represents all solid and inert waste accepted at Perth Metropolitan landfill sites and those country landfill sites which accept waste generated in the metropolitan region at the end of June 2003. The 2002-03 data include only one country landfill site.
26 Some of the data reported for the Perth Metropolitan area were based on weighbridge weights, while other data were based on volumetric estimates based on conversion factors as set out in regulations to convert volumes to tonnes. All seven putrescible landfill sites and four out of twelve inert sites used weighbridges.
27 Licensing applies to landfills that receive more than 500 tonnes of solid waste per annum. Liquid waste is not landfilled in Western Australia.
28 Clean Fill that is used as Cover material is exempted from a landfill levy and is not included in the Western Australian estimates. Clean Fill which is disposed of to landfill is counted as waste. Clean Fill includes material that will have no harmful effects on the environment and which consists of rocks or soil arising from the excavation of undisturbed material.
Tasmania
29 Data on waste quantities disposed of at landfill are not available for 2002-03.
Northern Territory
30 Data on waste quantities disposed of at landfill are not available for 2002-03.
Australian Capital Territory
31 The waste disposal data provided for the Australian Capital Territory represents all solid, inert and hazardous waste disposed to licensed landfills in the Australian Capital Territory during 2002-03.
32 Licensing applies to landfills that receive more than 5,000 tonnes of waste per annum.
33 The data reported for the Australian Capital Territory were based on weighbridge weights.
34 Bushfire damaged material is excluded from the Australian Capital Territory data. Cover material which includes Clean Fill is also excluded.
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