墨尔本西郊Kealba的Sunshine垃圾填埋场将永久停止运营[1]。环保局（EPA）撤销了运营方Barro集团的许可证，该公司也宣布主动放弃运营许可证[1]。Barro集团自2015年起运营该填埋场[1]。
填埋场的污染问题严峻。2019年检测到四个地下火灾，居民提交了数千份污染投诉，反映气味包括燃烧废物、化学肥料、腐烂鸡蛋或旧袜子等[1]。Barro集团表示将继续与加拿大专家合作扑灭最后一个火点，预计需要另外五年时间[1]。
当地社区对这一决定表示欢迎。社区活动人士Nicole Power表示"这是大卫和歌利亚的努力——大卫赢了"[1]。Brimbank市议会市长Virginia Tachos表示"这对我们的居民和当地环境来说是重大胜利"[1]。
A landfill in Melbourne's western suburb of Kealba is set to shut down permanently after nearly seven years of underground fire problems and widespread community complaints[1]. The Environmental Protection Authority revoked the operating license of Barro Group, which has managed the facility since 2015, with the company also voluntarily surrendering its permit[1]. The landfill's closure marks the end of a long battle by residents who filed thousands of pollution complaints over four years, describing odors ranging from burning waste and chemical fertilizers to rotting eggs and old socks[1].
The underground fires at the Maribyrnong River site were first detected in 2019, with four separate fire zones identified[1]. Barro Group announced in April 2026 its decision to voluntarily relinquish its operating license, and the EPA followed by revoking the permit[1]. However, the company will continue working with Canadian experts to extinguish the remaining active fire point, a process expected to take an additional five years[1].
Community activist Nicole Power described the victory as a David-and-Goliath effort, stating "David won," while Brimbank Council Mayor Virginia Tachos called the closure "a major victory for our residents and the local environment"[1].