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SUNSHINE LANDFILL TO CLOSE VOLUNTARILY

Sunshine Landfill owner, Barro Group, has announced it will voluntarily close the Sunshine Landfill in response to the local community’s clear message that it does not want the landfill to continue operations.

Barro Group notified the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) on 3 April 2026 that it had decided to voluntarily cease accepting waste on a permanent basis at the landfill  and wished to voluntarily surrender its Operating Licence for the landfill.  This will be given effect to today, by EPA administratively revoking the licence.

Barro Group is a proudly Australian family-owned business which has operated since 1946 and currently employs more than 600 people. Barro Group managing director, Raymond Barro, said the company took its responsibilities to all the communities in which it operates extremely seriously.

“Barro Group is a proud member of the Sunshine community where we have been operating for more than 50 years. Having a strong relationship with our neighbours, the broader community, the Brimbank City Council and the EPA is extremely important to us,” Mr Barro said.

“Last year we conducted a large community survey which left us in no doubt our surrounding neighbours and the local community in general did not want the landfill to continue operations. We heard what the community had to say and have decided we want to do the right thing by the community and voluntarily cease to accept waste and to voluntarily surrender our landfill Operating Licence.”

“This is an important decision for us and we hope the community see it for what it is – a show of good faith in rebuilding our relationship with our neighbours, the community and stakeholders.”

“We will continue to work closely with the EPA on the appropriate pathway to remediation and ultimate closure of the landfill operation. We will also work with Brimbank City Council in relation to the approach to planning requirements for the landfill.”

Barro Group will continue to remediate the final remaining hotspot within the landfill as quickly as possible in accordance with our current obligations using the oxygen suppression method recommended in the Landfill Hotspot Remediation Design prepared by the world’s leading expert in landfill fire suppression, Canadian based Landfill Fire Control.

Barro Group intends to continue operating its concrete batching plant and resume operation of its Concrete and Rock Recycling Facility (CRF) at its Sunshine site subject to necessary permissions being obtained from the EPA.

Air Quality

Air Quality during the Remediation Works is being monitored through a range of measures and which are approved by the Environment Protection Authority.

Air Quality testing undertaken by Sunshine Landfill is independently analysed, verified and shared with the EPA, which states that “air quality monitoring has found no issues of concern with respect to human health to date and it expects there will continue to be no health impacts.”

Air quality is measured against four key substances, which are carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds, which are a group of carbon-based chemicals that easily evaporate.

Although the landfill is no longer accepting waste, Barro will continue to undertake regular air quality monitoring in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.

Waste

The landfill is no longer accepting waste.

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