Closure of the Westbury Waste Depot and Landfill
We're committed to providing the most cost-effective and efficient waste management services in Meander Valley. As part of this, Council has made the decision to close the Westbury Waste Depot. Learn more about these changes.
Westbury, Cluan Road landfill
Meander Valley Council is committed to responsible and cost-effective waste management services that meet modern environmental standards. As part of our long-term waste strategy, Council has made the difficult decision to close the Westbury Waste Depot (Cluan landfill) on Sunday 29 June 2025.
We understand changes like this can raise concern and frustration, so we want to be open with you about why this is happening and what it means for current users of the Westbury site.
Responsibly managing waste is a challenge faced by every community and your support for our necessary changes will help enhance our environment in the future. Together, we're ensuring Meander Valley remains a cleaner, greener place to live for generations to come.
Why is the Westbury Waste Depot and landfill closing?
The landfill at Westbury Waste Depot has nearly reached capacity, meaning it can no longer accept waste on a long-term basis.
Continuing operations is not financially viable so Council is following an approach already used by most Tasmanian councils—transporting waste to regional waste facilities. This ensures our waste is managed sustainably and efficiently and keeps costs lower.
When is the closure happening? Where do I take my waste after that?
The last day for waste disposal at the Westbury Waste Depot is 29 June 2025.
The Deloraine Waste Facility will then increase its operating hours to 7 days a week, starting 30 June.
An upgraded and modernised Waste Transfer Station at Deloraine will commence construction in 2025, where the community will continue to be able to drop off their household waste. A new weighbridge at the Deloraine facility will also be fully operational from 1 July 2025.
Once Deloraine’s landfill area is full, it will be rehabilitated and our waste from the transfer station will be transported from the Deloraine Waste Depot to a regional landfill at Latrobe or Launceston.
Additionally, residents can continue to use our waste transfer station at Mole Creek, as well as a number of other waste disposal facilities in adjoining council areas, such as Exeter, Longford and Launceston.
General waste from Meander Valley will be transported to regional waste facilities such as the Launceston Waste Centre or Dulverton Waste Management facility. These large-scale operations provide a long-term, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable means to manage our general waste.
Council is committed to keeping waste management affordable and accessible. The transition to regional waste facilities is the most cost-effective option, avoiding the significant rate increases that would come with building and maintaining a new landfill in Meander Valley.
Please note all of Council’s fees and charges, including waste management fees, are typically reviewed annually around June with new pricing effective from 1 July.
With both Westbury and Deloraine Waste Depots nearing their approved landfill capacity, Council sought advice on the feasibility of constructing a new landfill.
The independent financial and environmental assessments found constructing a new landfill would be significantly more expensive than transporting the municipality’s waste to a regional waste facility.
Building a new landfill in Meander Valley would require:
- Millions of dollars in upfront and long-term costs.
- Significant rate increases for residents to fund construction and ongoing operations and monitoring.
- Additional environmental requirements to manage landfill gas, water and groundwater to meet modern compliance standards.
Given these barriers and the need for long-term certainty and affordability for waste management, Council has chosen not to build a new landfill, instead waste will be disposed of at a regional waste facility.
The following table shows the cost comparison between building a new landfill versus using a regional facility.
| Option | Annual Cost | Total Cost over the next 70 years |
| Build a new landfill | $2.05 million | $475 million |
| Use regional facilities | $1.27 million | $304 million |
Council is focused on delivering effective and sustainable waste management in the municipality. Current and future initiatives include:
- Extending kerbside waste collection services to regional areas where deemed feasible.
- Expanding kerbside services with the addition of FOGO (Food Organics & Garden Organics) bins to more areas.
- Upgrading and modernising the Deloraine Waste Transfer Facility.
- Increasing participation in product stewardship programs providing greater recycling options.
- Supporting the Tasmanian container refund scheme, Recycle Rewards, commencing 1 May 2025.
- Continuing operations at Mole Creek Waste Transfer Station.
Expansion of the kerbside collection service is under assessment as per Council’s Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy.
To register your interest, please contact Council on 6393 5324/5312 or email waste@mvc.tas.gov.au.
| Deloraine Waste Depot
54 Tip Road, Deloraine | Access to the drop off zones for green waste and general waste is via the weighbridge
From Monday, 30 June 2025: Monday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm except on Good Friday and Christmas Day Meander Valley Waste Disposal Facilities |
Mole Creek Waste Transfer Station EFTPOS accepted | Open: Wednesday: 1pm - 4pm and Sunday: 10am - 3pm Closed: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Christmas Day |
| Meander Independent Waste Transfer Station
(run by Meander Progress Association) (03) 6369 5429 21 East Meander Road, Meander | Open:Tuesday: 8:30am – 10:30am and Sunday: 2pm – 4pm Closed: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday |
| Launceston Waste Centre and Transfer Station
19 Cavalry Rd, Mowbray TAS 7248 (03) 6323 3000 EFTPOS accepted | Open:Monday – Sunday, 8am – 4:45pm except on Good Friday and Christmas Day Launceston Mowbray Waste Centre |
If you have any additional questions, please contact us by email at waste@mvc.tas.gov.au
To read a letter about the closure of the Westbury Waste Depot from Mayor Wayne Johnston on behalf of the Council, click here.