Thank you Daniel for sharing your knowledge on the future of landfill infrastructure

Our most recent webinar, presented by Daniel Fyfe of Danson Partners explored how landfill scarcity, waste levies and complex approval pathways are reshaping the economics of waste management. For example, Greater Sydney’s landfill capacity is forecast to be exhausted by 2030 without new infrastructure, while Victoria’s waste generation is expected to reach 20.8 million tonnes annually by 2040.

Watch the Webinar

Australia’s waste-to-energy (WtE) sector is beginning to emerge as a key component of future waste infrastructure, providing an alternative pathway for residual waste that cannot be recycled. The webinar examined the progress of Australia’s first large-scale facilities, including the operational Kwinana Waste-to-Energy Plant in Western Australia and the recently commissioned East Rockingham Waste-to-Energy Facility.

Together, these projects demonstrate both the potential and challenges of converting residual waste into reliable electricity while reducing dependence on landfill.

The presentation also highlighted how the role of landfills is changing. Gas capture, energy production, improved airspace management and long-term environmental monitoring are turning some sites into energy and carbon assets. Meanwhile, AI-enabled sorting, drone-based methane detection and continuous groundwater and leachate monitoring could strengthen operational efficiency, emissions measurement and regulatory reporting.

Ultimately, future waste infrastructure will depend not only on technology and investment, but also on regulatory certainty, reliable markets and community acceptance.

Key takeaways

• Landfill capacity is becoming increasingly scarce, placing greater value on existing licensed and scheduled sites.
• Waste levies are a major driver of disposal costs, particularly across Australia’s eastern states.
• Waste-to-energy is becoming an important alternative to landfill, offering reliable energy generation and additional residual waste capacity, although projects remain heavily influenced by regulation, community acceptance and delivery risk.
• Community support is critical, with opposition capable of delaying or preventing major waste infrastructure projects.
• AI and continuous monitoring are reshaping operations, including waste sorting, methane detection, environmental monitoring and compliance reporting.

If you would like to watch a recording of the webinar, you will find it in our on-line webinar library.