For decades, the Caloundra Landfill and Resource Recovery Centre has been a familiar destination for residents disposing of everything from household rubbish and green waste to recyclable materials.
Located at 171 Pierce Avenue, Caloundra, the Council-owned facility incorporates landfill and resource recovery operations, a transfer station and recycling services.
But Caloundra isn’t the same town it was when much of this infrastructure was originally established.
Rapid residential development across Caloundra South, Aura, Baringa, Nirimba, Bells Creek and surrounding communities is placing increasing pressure on infrastructure throughout the southern Sunshine Coast — and waste management is no exception.
Running Out of Room
The challenge facing traditional landfill sites is simple: eventually, the available space runs out.
Unlike many other Council facilities, a landfill can’t simply continue expanding indefinitely.
As individual landfill cells reach capacity, they must be appropriately capped, rehabilitated and monitored, while Council must plan how waste generated by a rapidly growing population will be managed into the future.
That makes the future of Caloundra’s waste operations an important piece of infrastructure planning for the region.
The current facility remains operational, with Sunshine Coast Council listing the Caloundra Landfill and Resource Recovery Centre at 171 Pierce Avenue as one of its major waste facilities.
It currently operates seven days a week from 7am until 5pm, excluding Christmas Day.
