The operator of the Marys Mount landfill has been fined $52,000 after pleading guilty to breaching its environmental licence following a major fire that blanketed parts of the region in smoke just before Christmas in 2024.
Gunnedah Quarry Products Pty Ltd was prosecuted by the NSW Environment Protection Authority over the December 2024 blaze at the Mullaley landfill site.
The NSW EPA alleged the company began placing large volumes of waste into a landfill cell without authorisation in early December 2024. The site caught fire on 15 December, sending smoke eastward towards Gunnedah and prompting health warnings for residents.
EPA Director of Field Operations Scott Kidd said the incident highlighted the importance of proper landfill management.
“This incident is a prime example of how important it is to ensure landfills are managed appropriately and to the letter of the law,” Mr Kidd said.
“Residents were impacted by smoke from the fire and were forced to keep windows, doors and vents closed in the days before Christmas, while firefighters battled to contain the blaze.”
The EPA said its investigation found the landfill contained a large volume of combustible material, including plastic, timber and cardboard, which had not been covered. Waste stockpiles were also allegedly stacked higher than four metres, contrary to NSW fire safety guidelines for waste facilities.
“Our investigation confirmed the landfill had a high risk of fire because it contained a large volume of combustible material,” Mr Kidd said.
“The waste was also stacked more than four metres high, which is contrary to NSW guidelines on fire safety in waste facilities, as this allows oxygen to travel quickly through waste stockpiles.”
In Gunnedah Local Court this week, the company pleaded guilty to one offence under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act. It was ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and cover the EPA’s legal costs of $12,000.
The Marys Mount landfill is located within a depleted quarry owned by the Mackellar Group and is primarily used for construction and demolition waste, including waste linked to Inland Rail construction. The EPA said the site does not accept contaminated, restricted or toxic waste.
The fire has triggered a series of regulatory actions by the EPA, including prevention notices, a clean-up notice and a licence variation. Air quality monitoring was also deployed during the incident.
One landfill cell has since been repaired and extinguished, while another remains covered in clay to suppress smouldering. Two further fires broke out at the site in late 2025, with the EPA continuing investigations into those incidents.
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