Bowral Waste Centre LFG Emission Avoidance Project

Bowral Waste Centre LFG Emission Avoidance Project is a landfill gas (LFG) project located at the Bowral Waste Centre on Kiama Street, approximately 4km south of the Bowral town centre in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Registered in May 2022, the project operates within the Wingecarribee Shire, a region traditionally characterized by cool-climate grazing (beef and dairy), viticulture, and rural lifestyle properties. The site itself sits within a general industrial zone bordered by rail infrastructure and low-density residential areas.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology incentivizes the installation of gas collection systems to capture methane generated by the decomposition of organic waste. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, approximately 28 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. By capturing this gas and combusting it, typically through a flaring system or electricity generator, the methane is converted into less harmful carbon dioxide, generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for the abatement achieved.

Environmentally, the Southern Highlands is classified as a high-rainfall zone with a cool temperate climate, factors that can influence the rate of waste decomposition and leachate generation. The region is well-known for its fertile soil profiles, primarily consisting of red krasnozems derived from basalt caps and Wianamatta Shale clays. These heavy clay soils are relevant to landfill operations as they can impact drainage and surface water management on the site.

A notable aspect of this project is the involvement of Ewen McKenzie, the former Wallabies head coach and World Cup-winning prop, who has been listed as a contact for the facility in environmental monitoring reports. The project activity involves transitioning the site to a new gas collection system to manage emissions from both legacy (pre-2012) and non-legacy waste. The installation of this system appears to have been driven partly by community concerns; in 2021, the facility faced fines from the EPA regarding odour complaints, which accelerated the installation of a temporary and subsequently permanent flaring system to mitigate smell and destroy methane.