Landfill

Photo: Annette Hogan

Kurnell Landfill is located in the former sand extraction areas owned by Breen's Consolidated Developments. Development consent was granted by Sutherland Shire Council for disposal of clean fill and demolition waste in 1990. This was considered an appropriate form of 'rehabilitation' for part of the Breen sand extraction site. The Landfill handles construction and demolition waste from the Inner Sydney area with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of material being handled each year. The Landfill company recycles significant amounts of material.

As a condition of consent, the Landfill is required to undertake regular groundwater monitoring and provide the results every 3 months to Council and to the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation. This monitoring is undertaken using a series of bores located on each side of the landfill site. According to Council reports, results of monitoring have been satisfactory over the past 10 years but in late 2000, evidence of off-site movement of organic pollutants from the Landfill was detected. Movement of the pollutants was in the direction of the internationally significant wetlands of Towra Point Nature Reserve. These results have confirmed many fears about the impacts of waste disposal on the Peninsula's ecological assets.

In response to the results, the Landfill has intended to undertake an ecotoxicological study to determine the extent of impact on Towra's wetlands. Council has also recommended that extra bores be installed.