Dunsborough Waste Facility - Contaminated Site Investigations
First published: 20.10.2025
Site history
Located off Vidler Road at 48 Western Cape Drive in Naturaliste, the Dunsborough Waste Facility is the City of Busselton’s only landfill site. It started operations in the 1980s as a sandpit for extractive industry and began accepting waste from the Dunsborough area in the 1990s.
Following restrictions imposed by government agencies on use of the Busselton Waste Facility on Rendezvous Road, Vasse in 2002, the Dunsborough Waste Facility became the City’s major landfill site and, when the Rendezvous Road site was converted to a waste transfer station in 2012, the Dunsborough site has been the City’s only operational landfill facility.
Current operations at Dunsborough Waste Facility
The Dunsborough Waste Facility operates under a licence issued by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA). This licence was first issued in 1998 when new regulations were introduced by the State Government of WA concerning the control, fencing and maintenance of waste facilities.
The licence allows the City to accept and process:
- solid municipal waste for burial,
- liquid waste for disposal into lined septage ponds,
- concrete and other construction materials for crushing and recycling,
- bulk green waste, and
- mattresses.
A range of recycling options are also offered at the Dunsborough Waste Facility to reduce recyclable items ending up in landfill, including scrap metal, car batteries, household recycling and household batteries, commercial and domestic quantities of cardboard, motor oil, electronic waste, fluorescent tubes and globes, gas bottles, mattresses and household hazardous waste.
Prior to 2018 solid waste had been buried in unlined cells but since 2018, in accordance with current best practice guidelines, waste is buried in lined cells. Lined waste cells are a type of landfill cell constructed with an impermeable barrier to prevent leachate (liquid that forms when waste decomposes) from seeping into the ground in order to reduce any environmental impact of the buried waste to a minimum.
The Dunsborough Waste Facility operates only for the benefit of the City of Busselton residents and does not intend to cater for waste generated outside the City’s boundaries. Current indications are that this facility has the capacity to be used as a waste disposal facility for a further 20 years or more.
What contaminated site investigations have been conducted?
The Contaminated Sites Act 2003 (WA) establishes a framework for identifying, reporting, investigating and managing land contaminated by hazardous substances. It works alongside the Environmental Protection Act 1986 to protect human health and the environment. Contamination does not necessarily mean that an area is unsafe to live or work in – for example, it may be limited to groundwater and only becomes an issue to be managed if a groundwater bore was being considered.
Pursuant to its functions and powers under the Contaminated Sites Act, DWER may classify a site if, based on reasonable grounds, a site is, or is known (or suspected) to be, contaminated. All landfill sites in WA are by default classified as possibly contaminated. The Dunsborough Waste Facility was classified by DWER in 2010 as possibly contaminated – investigation required.
A network of ground water monitoring bores within the boundary of the Dunsborough Waste Facility were installed by the City in the early 2000s to assess the quality of groundwater beneath the landfill site. In accordance with the facility’s licencing conditions, since 2006 these bores have been tested twice-yearly for a range of analytes and the test results submitted ongoing with DWER.
In 2021, DWER advised that a review of the 2019 groundwater monitoring results for the Dunsborough Waste Facility has indicated that bores located near the western boundary of the site appear to be impacted by landfill leachate, most likely originating from the initial (unlined) landfill cell at the site. Consequently, DWER requested the City to engage a suitably qualified environmental consultant to assist in undertaking further groundwater investigations.
These further investigations have since indicated that:
A number of substances indicative of landfill leachate are present in groundwater at the western (down gradient) boundary of the Dunsborough Waste Facility, at concentrations exceeding non-potable use guidelines. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) has been found in some on-site bores above the relevant guideline values for protection of freshwater ecosystems but not exceeding the Australian drinking water guideline values.
Two off-site monitoring bores were installed in 2023 beyond the western boundary of the Dunsborough Waste Facility. The closest off-site bore is approximately 400 metres from the site boundary. While the location of these bores is not ideal, due to practical constraints it was not possible to install bores closer to the site. Apart from a low-level detection of PFOS in one of these bores, no leachate impacts were identified in these off-site bores.
In response to the outcome of these investigations, DWER has since advised that:
- Based on current data, health-risks associated with potential exposure to site-derived contaminants in groundwater by off-site groundwater users are low and manageable for existing off-site land uses.
- Further investigations are required to form a better understanding of subterranean ecology in this area and whether the contamination poses any threat.
- As further investigations and management of contamination issues at the Dunsborough Waste Facility are impacted by particularly complex technical issues (such as complex underlying hydrogeology and limited practical access to key areas) the City is required to engage a Contaminated Sites Auditor to oversee further investigations.
Next steps
In accordance with DWER requirements, the City engaged a Contaminated Sites Auditor and is in process of procuring the services of a suitably qualified and experienced environmental consultant to continue with further investigations.
It is expected that further investigations will commence by early 2026. The nature and extent of these investigations will be determined by the City’s environmental consultant under supervision of the Contaminated Sites Auditor and DWER.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PFOS?
PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) is a human-made chemical, one of many in the PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) family, used in products like stain and water repellents, firefighting foam and coatings for food packaging and consequently is already present in the environment. Known for resisting heat, stains, grease, and water, PFOS is a "forever chemical" because it does not break down easily and accumulates in the environment and human bodies. As PFOS is present in many household and other commonly used products, it can accumulate in landfills and enter the environment from unlined landfill cells.
For more information in relation to PFAS see the DWER’s website.
What is a Contaminated Sites Auditor?
In Western Australia, a contaminated sites auditor is a highly experienced, accredited environmental consultant who provides an independent, third-party review of site assessment and remediation work for a potentially contaminated site under the Contaminated Sites Act.
Auditors must be accredited by DWER and are required to undertake an independent review of test results, site assessments and/or remediation work carried out by other professionals in relation to a potentially contaminated site.
Can I use water from groundwater sources on my property?
There are no restrictions on the use of shallow groundwater at properties that have not been classified by DWER. However, property owners and residents are reminded of the general standing advice from the Department of Health that:
“Bore water should never be used for drinking, bathing, watering edible plants, filling swimming and paddling pools, food preparation or cooking unless it has been tested and treated to the extent necessary for the intended use”.
Where can I find further information?
All technical reports submitted by the City and its consultants with DWER for the purposes of the Contaminated Sites Act are available to the public through a request to DWER for a ‘detailed summary of records’ (DWER Form 2). Note a fee may apply.
I have concerns, what can I do?
You can contact:
City of Busselton – Enquiries - city@busselton.wa.gov.au
or
DWER - www.dwer.wa.gov.au