Barretta Landfill Gas Project

The Barretta Landfill Gas Project is a waste emission avoidance project located at the Barretta Waste Management Facility, approximately 20km south of Hobart in Tasmania. The project was registered in August 2015 and is operated by the Kingborough Council. Situated near the town of Margate, the facility serves as a primary waste transfer and recycling hub for the Kingborough municipality.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology involves the installation and operation of a system to collect methane-rich gas generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste within the landfill. Instead of allowing this potent greenhouse gas to vent into the atmosphere, the system captures it and combusts it via a flaring mechanism. This process converts the methane into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential.

The region typically experiences a cool temperate climate with moderate rainfall, averaging between 800mm and 1000mm annually, which is slightly higher than the nearby city of Hobart. The local soil composition is characteristic of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel area, generally consisting of clay and sandstone-derived sedimentary soils. These environmental factors are relevant to landfill management, as rainfall infiltration must be controlled to manage leachate generation.

The Barretta facility itself has undergone significant rehabilitation since the landfill was capped in 2015. In addition to the gas capture system, the site features a popular "Re-Use Shop" to divert salvageable goods from disposal and hosts a solar array to offset energy usage. The project previously held a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC354122) with the Australian Government, which was successfully completed in 2019, contributing to the Kingborough Council's broader strategic goal of achieving net zero emissions for its activities by 2035.