Forty sites, two states, one deadline
Volumetric surveys are a statutory reporting requirement for local government and private landfill operators in Queensland and New South Wales. They give regulators a picture of landfill void space, waste disposal and stockpiled materials, and they underpin waste levy compliance.
The deadlines do not move. In Queensland, surveys are submitted annually to the Department by 31 July, covering every landfill cell that has received waste since the previous survey, along with all stockpiled waste and materials within declared Resource Recovery Areas. In New South Wales, surveys are generally required every six months, falling due on 31 July and 31 January.
For any single site, that is a substantial coordination task — engaging a surveyor, getting the flight done, checking the output against the Department’s requirements, and lodging through the right portal, all before a fixed date.
As Resource Hub, when we’re supporting 40+ sites in two states, with different regulatory frameworks and a shared July deadline, it becomes a campaign.
End-to-end delivery
Resource Hub managed the end-to-end delivery of volumetric surveys for councils and private operators across Queensland and New South Wales, from initial coordination through to submission.
That included:
- Engaging with surveyors and even coordinating or scheduling survey flights across all sites in some instances.
- Reviewing survey compliance against the Department’s requirements for accuracy, features, annotations and stockpile classification
- Validating data and calculating void space and compaction rates, to ensure alignment with the survey volumes.
- Liaising with clients and regulators to resolve queries and coordinate amendments
- Submitting completed surveys through the relevant reporting portals
Beyond the contracted scope, we worked with each client to verify survey readiness before draft surveys came back — identifying and resolving potential issues early rather than discovering them close to the deadline, when there is no time left to fix anything.
After each survey was finalised, we followed up with clients to confirm they were across the statutory submission dates and clear on what was required from them.
Where the detail matters
Volumetric survey requirements are technical, and interpretations of them vary — between surveyors, between sites, and sometimes between one survey round and the next.
Requirements around survey accuracy, the features and annotations that need to appear, and how stockpiles are classified are all areas where the expected standard is not always obvious from the guidance alone.
One requirement causes more difficulty than most: a survey must accurately represent site conditions on the day it was flown, including the quantity and location of stockpiled material. A site that has moved material between the flight and the submission needs that reflected properly.
Much of the value in this campaign sat in that space — clarifying regulatory expectations, coordinating amendments with surveyors, and making sure each final survey package genuinely reflected the site as it stood on the survey date.
The Outcomes
40+ sites surveyed across Queensland and New South Wales, spanning regional councils and private operators.
Every survey reviewed, finalised and uploaded before the statutory deadline, with each client notified once their survey was ready for submission.
No late or non-compliant submissions across the campaign.
Clients kept ahead of the process rather than chasing it — with readiness checks before drafts arrived and follow-up after they were finalised.
What our clients said
“Thanks so much for all your work on this. Greatly appreciated.” — Luke, Byron Shire Council
“Thank you very much for all your hard work on this! We really appreciate it.”— Amy, Cassowary Coast Regional Council
“Thanks Sam, great work.”— Bruce, Central Highlands Regional Council
“Very good, thanks for your good work.”— Don, Hinchinbrook Shire Council
“Thank you so much.”— Cassidy, South Burnett Regional Council
Volumetric surveys are one of those obligations that look straightforward on paper and turn out to have a great deal underneath them. The deadline is fixed, the technical requirements are specific, and the consequences of a non-compliant submission land squarely with the operator.
The sites that came through this campaign smoothly had one thing in common: the work started early enough that problems could still be solved. Checking survey readiness before the surveyor arrives, and reviewing the draft against the Department’s requirements before it is lodged, is where the deadline is actually met.
Volumetric survey due?
Resource Hub coordinates volumetric surveys end to end for councils and private landfill operators in Queensland and New South Wales — surveyor engagement, compliance review, data validation, void space and compaction calculations, and submission through the relevant portal.
The next Queensland deadline is 31 July. In New South Wales, 31 January and 31 July.
Talk to us well before then. Get in touch at resourcehub.com.au