Coffs Harbour council fined for failing to maintain gas lines at Englands Rd waste facility

A stench that got up the nose of Coffs Harbour residents and motorists has come back to bite council on the bum.

The City of Coffs Harbour was taken to court by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) over its failure to adequately maintain gas flow lines at its Englands Rd landfill site.

Coffs Harbour council has fallen on its sword after copping a $60,000 whack for an incident at its Englands Rd waste facility.

The drama at the tip was caused by runaway fumes from the gas extraction system – which resulted in an awful smell washing over homes near the C.ex International Stadium.

The pong was also a rude awakening for motorists on the Pacific Highway as they passed the old Bunnings roundabout.

The City of Coffs Harbour was taken to court by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) over its failure to adequately maintain gas flow lines at the landfill site in August and November, 2021 – where two offences were found proven.

The upshot from the Coffs Harbour Local Court action has seen council convicted and fined $20,000, and ordered to foot a $40,000 bill for the EPA’s legal costs.

The council has accepted the court’s decision.

The council has since rectified the problem at the landfill, but it must publish a notice on its website detailing the ruling as part of court orders.

The notice reads in part: “The Council failed to maintain gas flow lines at Well Station A of the landfill gas extraction system at the Landfill in a proper and efficient condition, between August 2020 and November 2021.”

“The offences contributed to increased fugitive landfill gas emissions from the Premises and had the potential to cause odour emissions detectable offsite by the local community.”

The Coffs landfill is just about full.

The Englands Rd landfill is fast nearing capacity, driving the city to reach out to the neighbouring councils of Nambucca and Clarence, to see if they would accept Coffs landfill at their dumps through to 2027.

The city has processed the yellow and green bin waste for Bellingen and Nambucca shires since 2007 and will continue to do so until the end of the current waste contract in 2027.

Coffs council’s sustainable infrastructure director Andrew Beswick said: “Our neighbouring local government areas all have landfill sites that can accommodate residual red bin waste for decades to come.”

“In the meantime, our own waste facility is near capacity and we are having red bin waste trucked three times per day, six days per week to Queensland.”