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Landfill Review and Audit

The 2002 Landfill Review and Audit Report provides a clear picture of the risks associated with landfills in this country by assessing relative risks on a consistent basis nationwide the Landfill Rapid Screening System (LRSS). The Landfill Review and Audit enables the Ministry to understand where the most serious risks are located and provides a more accurate picture than was previously available.

The LRSS takes into account the following factors when assigning a risk score (useful for comparative purposes only):

  • Landfill siting, underlying material, proximity of groundwater users and surface water, rainfall and flood risk.
  • Landfill design, engineered containment, stormwater diversion, leachate collection/treatment, gas management and landfill cap.
  • Landfill operation, types and volumes of waste accepted, site supervision, waste acceptance criteria, working cover/compaction and monitoring (leachate, groundwater, surface water, and gas).

The Landfill Review and Audit project consisted of:

  • updating data from the 1998 Landfill Census through an electronic survey form and telephone survey
  • a programme of visits to operating landfills throughout New Zealand
  • application of the Landfill Rapid Screening System.

The aim of the project was to develop a picture of the risks posed by operating landfill sites throughout New Zealand and to use this information to plan future work within the Ministry on landfill related issues.

Briefly the results indicate that:

  • There are 115 landfills currently operating in New Zealand, this number will be around 43 in 2010.
  • Approximately 20% of landfills have some form of engineered containment, this is likely to rise to around 65% in 2010.
  • Since 1998 there have been improvements in all aspects of landfill design and operation including stormwater, leachate and landfill gas management, dealing with hazardous waste and controlling access to the site.

For further information see the 2002 Landfill Review and Audit Report.