Woodlawn Bioreactor Project

Woodlawn Bioreactor Project is a landfill gas project located at the Woodlawn Eco-Precinct in Tarago, approximately 40km south of Goulburn in NSW. It was registered in May 2013 and covers an unknown area, as the facility primarily operates within an expansive former open-cut mine void.

Landfill gas projects involve the installation of infrastructure to capture methane gas emitted by the decomposition of organic waste. The captured gas is then combusted, usually via a flare or an engine used to generate electricity, which converts the potent methane into less harmful carbon dioxide and reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions.

The Tarago and wider Southern Tablelands area is traditionally known for sheep and cattle grazing, interspersed with modern industrial sites and renewable energy operations like wind farms. The region generally experiences a temperate climate with moderate rainfall, and local natural soils are typically characterised as texture-contrast soils such as chromosols.

This transitioning project captures and combusts gas generated from both legacy and non-legacy waste. Interestingly, the Woodlawn Bioreactor is a massive engineered landfill situated in a former copper, lead, and zinc mine, processing up to 40% of Sydney's household waste which is transported via rail to the site. The proponent of the project was officially updated from Veolia Environmental Services (Australia) Pty Ltd to VELMS JOINT VENTURE PTY LTD in June 2026. Additionally, the project successfully completed its government carbon abatement contract (CAC254087) in August 2022.