Mildura Rural City Council has ‘un-covered’ almost $2 million in operational savings after successfully trialling a new method to cover the Mildura Landfill tip face.
Under Environment Protection Authority (EPA) guidelines all landfill operators need to cover the tip face on a daily basis to reduce the impact of odour and litter on nearby properties.
Like most local government areas, MRCC had been sourcing and using soil to perform this task, which in the last financial year attracted an EPA levy of $116 per tonne of soil applied to the tip face, as well as the need to purchase and transport the soil to the landfill.
Councillor for Environmental and Sustainability Jodi Ewings said that as part of Council’s continual push to generate cost savings and environmental benefits, a trial method using bentonite clay started in the 2023/24 financial year.
The clay, known as Posi Shell, is applied to the tip face in liquid form, in a mud-like consistency, replacing 300mm of clean fill soil, negating the need to transport as much soil to and within the landfill site.
“In terms of financial savings, we’ve slashed almost $1.9 million from the Mildura Landfill operational costs over the past two financial years,” Cr Ewings said.
