THE New Chum landfill shut its gates today – Friday, November 28 – marking the end of a 25-year operation that has handled construction and demolition waste from across South-East Queensland.

The closure comes after the site’s final waste cell reached capacity, drawing a line under more than 150 years of industrial activity on the former coal mining land.

With dumping now finished, Cleanaway has begun a long-term rehabilitation program designed to stabilise the area, restore vegetation and encourage the return of wildlife. The project is being carried out alongside Ipswich City Council’s goal of developing a cleaner, greener, circular-economy city.

A partnership with Griffith University is guiding the multi-year “capping” process, which involves building a protective layer over the landfill to manage rainwater and support plant growth. About 20 per cent of the site has already been capped, and early signs of recovery have appeared, including nesting birds and desert tree frogs. The research underway at New Chum is also contributing to national guidelines for landfill capping practices.

Cleanaway’s General Manager of Solid Waste Services in Queensland, Aaron Carter, thanked local residents, council and the State Government for their support. He said the community should begin to notice improvements as rehabilitation progresses, including better air quality and a greener landscape.

New Chum sits within a network of legacy coal mines stretching from New Chum to Swanbank. In the 1990s, governments invited waste operators to use—and ultimately rehabilitate—these former industrial sites. The work now underway marks the site’s next chapter, with engineers and environmental specialists planning how to restore the remaining area and prepare it for future use.

Cleanaway says the ongoing rehabilitation will focus on keeping the land stable, protecting the environment and improving the visual outlook for surrounding neighbourhoods.