State-of-the-art waste transfer station design locked in as Maitland eyes 2028 for end of landfill airspace

Plans for a $21.8 million waste transfer station in Maitland are taking shape, as Maitland City Council looks to ensure the long-term viability of its waste facility before landfill airspace is exhausted.

Landfill airspace at the Maitland Resource Recovery Facility (Mount Vincent Road, East Maitland) is projected to reach capacity in 2028, and in preparation Maitland Council is moving forward with detailed designs for a new waste transfer station and sorting infrastructure.

Maitland City Council Acting Manager Environment and Sustainability Michelle Lindsay said the upgrade would allow residential waste “to be sorted into waste streams and transported offsite to appropriate recycling or disposal endpoints.”

“In addition to allowing the facility to remain open after landfill airspace expires, these works during stage three will improve resource recovery, reduce reliance on landfill, and deliver a modern, more efficient waste management facility that ensures the site can continue to serve Maitland well into the future,” she said.

“The transfer facility will also bring us closer to our landfill diversion target of 80 per cent by 2030, by helping us recover more resources and recyclable material before waste leaves the site.”

The recent introduction of a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service in 2025 is also bringing Maitland City Council closer to achieving its 2030 landfill diversion target.

Detailed design and construction on stage three will run throughout 2025/26, running in parallel with determining infrastructure and funding options for a future fourth stage. Construction on stage three is expected to conclude in early 2028.

Stage two of the project – which includes an expanded weighbridge, gatehouse, and entry and exits roads – is set to conclude in October 2025.

Ms Lindsay explained site constraints prevented Council from “creating new space for landfill or expanding our landfill footprint.”

For more information on the staged delivery of the Maitland Resource Recovery transformation and to view the stage three concept designs, visit mait.city/MRRF.