Lucas Heights Western Extension Project

Lucas Heights Western Extension Project

This page is a central place to find updates, project information, and resources about Cleanaway operations relating to the Lucas Heights Western Extension Project.

We share information here to support open communication with the local community and stakeholders.

If you would like to ask a question, raise a concern, or provide feedback, please contact us at the details below.

About the project

Cleanaway is aiming to extend its existing Lucas Heights Resource Recovery Park landfill, providing much-needed additional capacity and associated critical waste infrastructure. As the only putrescible landfill site in the Sydney basin, an extension of the Lucas Heights facility is crucial to the management of NSW’s looming landfill shortage. According to the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041, available landfill in NSW is forecast to be at capacity by 2030. While the Strategy includes plans for responsibly reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling the waste we generate, according to the NSW Government, we still need additional landfill capacity.

What’s proposed

With Cleanaway’s existing landfill forecast to reach capacity by 2030, once approved, the Western Extension Project at Lucas Heights Resource Recovery Park will allow Cleanaway to maintain its current processing of Sydney’s red bin waste at a rate of up to 970,000 tonnes per year until at least 2040.

The site extension area is expected to be operational in 2031. The proposed extension would make use of existing environmental control infrastructure and allow the Lucas Heights Resource Recovery Park to continue to generate electricity for around 25,000 homes via its onsite methane collection and renewable power generation system.

In addition to addressing Sydney’s impending waste issue, the proposal will generate both direct and indirect employment opportunities and the rehabilitation and landscaping of the site will result in new open recreational space being created that will see authority over the area transferred to Sutherland Shire Council.

Get involved

Over coming months, we will continue to keep the community informed about the project. Transparent and open communication with the community remains our priority.

The NSW Government issued the requirements (Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements or SEARs) for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in December 2024, which guide both the technical studies and the community engagement for the project. You can view the SEARs document and project details on the NSW Major Projects Portal.

Stay informed

We encourage you to visit this webpage regularly for updates and announcements. Your input and involvement are important as we develop a resource recovery solution that benefits both the community and the environment.