Coolamon Landfill - Transfer Station

Residents are advised that the Coolamon landfill site is nearing the end of its lifespan with approximately 6 months left in the current underground landfill disposal cell.

As a result Council has considered a number of options to ensure that waste disposal options are still made available to residents within the Coolamon Township. 

The design and implementation of a transfer station, has been determined as the most viable option, and provides an opportunity for Coolamon Shire Council to rationalise existing landfill operations and continue to offer a waste disposal facility for residents by introducing an alternative arrangement to the current landfill operations employed in the LGA.

The final design for a transfer station has been endorsed and is based on the NSW Environmental Protection Authority’s Handbook for Design and Operation of Rural and Regional Transfer Stations.

The benefits of a transfer station include:  

·         Ensuring that there is a waste facility still available for the residents of Coolamon

·         Addresses the issue of there being no land area available for the creation of below ground trenches for general waste

·         Improve existing waste infrastructure.

A proposed transfer station at the Coolamon site would include:

·         Continuation of the use of the Community Recycling Centre

·         Internal road works

·         Stormwater works

·         Creation of transfer station waste stream disposal bunkers

·         Use of skip  bins for disposal of waste (household waste)

·         Skip bins would be collected by an external contractor and disposed of at an alternate landfill site within the Shire.

The operation of a transfer station at the Coolamon Landfill site, would result in the onsite storage of general household waste and recycling waste streams being deposited by members of the community into skip bins. The general waste would be collected and transferred by Council staff to the Marrar Landfill Facility for landfilling.  Recycling waste streams deposited at the transfer station would be transferred to an authorised recycling centre for processing. 

An access charge will be implemented at the gate for all persons who seek to deposit general and recycling waste streams at the Transfer Station. 

Whilst a service charge will be imposed on residents for use of the transfer station, it should be noted that residents will still have the opportunity to use, free of charges (for applicable waste streams), both Ganmain and Marrar Landfills which are located approximately 10 min from Coolamon. 

In order to ensure that the creation of a transfer station and provision of a facility is available for residents of the Coolamon community, a waste disposal fee for use of the transfer station is required to be charged.  The disposal charge for domestic waste/recycling for residents who elect to use the transfer station is proposed at $30.00 per m3 or part thereof or $15.00 per 140L waste bin containing domestic household waste.

The construction of the transfer station will commence in February 2023, with an anticipated operational date of late March 2023. To view the report presented at the December 2022 Council Meeting click here.