Landfill site at Smythesdale expanding

THE City of Ballarat’s landfill site on the eastern edge of Smythesdale is set to grow following a decision by that municipality’s council last week.

At its final regular council meeting of the year the City’s councilors awarded a contract to build a new cell at the Ballarat Regional Landfill site to Goldsmith Civil Engineering for a total tendered price of just over $4.46 million.

Former mayor Cr Ben Taylor moved the motion saying rubbish disposal is something Ballarat must do well.

“We want a better circular economy but this is what we have to deal with in dealing with the landfill in making sure we have the space available,” he said.

“It is frustrating that this is a cost, but this is a cost that we have to deal with.”

To clear up concerns about the overall cost of the project, the City’s director of infrastructure and environment Bridget Weatherall said she was confident the municipality had found value for money.

“The range of tenders were up to around $10 million so this quoted price for around $4.46 million… and we are confident in the capabilities of Goldsmith Civil Engineering,” she said.

“Each cell is quite different in its construction and volume and time that it’s built.

“The last cell was constructed to provide two years of air space so basically it could accommodate two years of materials, the EPA has given us approval to build a cell that will provide five years of air space so that’s the reason for the disparity.”

The new cell would be the ninth at the site, with the council meeting agenda showing that the eighth cell, which was built in 2018, filled up faster than expected “due to the combined impacts of the recycling crisis, stockpile restrictions and COVID.

“Under current progress Cell H will be filled by October 2021,” meeting documents said.