New Chum LFG Flaring Project

The New Chum LFG Flaring Project is a waste sector project located in the industrial suburb of New Chum, approximately 7km southeast of Ipswich in Queensland. Registered on November 24, 2021, the project is situated within a significant waste management precinct that occupies a former open-cut coal mine. The surrounding region is heavily defined by industrial land use and historical mining operations, though it sits adjacent to rapidly expanding residential corridors in the Ipswich growth area.

The project operates under the Landfill Gas methodology, which involves the installation and expansion of gas collection systems, comprising vertical wells and horizontal pipes, to capture methane generated by decomposing organic waste. Instead of venting into the atmosphere, this methane is combusted (flared), converting it into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential. This specific project focuses on upgrading existing systems to manage gas from both legacy and non-legacy waste streams.

Environmentally, the site experiences a sub-tropical climate characterized by high rainfall events, a factor that significantly impacted operations during the severe floods of 2022. The local soil profile is largely anthropogenic, consisting of disturbed mine spoil and clay liners used for containment. Notably, the proponent has partnered with Griffith University to trial "phytocapping" on the site, a technique using native vegetation and soil to manage water ingress, replacing traditional hard infrastructure caps. The landfill itself ceased accepting new waste temporarily in 2022 due to flood damage and is currently in a transitional phase toward final closure and rehabilitation.