However, the report  said it does not “pose imminent risk to human health or the environment”.

Council’s report, outlining the former tip’s exact boundaries, was lodged with the EPA on Wednesday.

EPA acting south west manager Tanya McAteer said the report showed waste was present in some areas outside the historical landfill boundary.

“EPA will now review the report and, if required, will issue the City of Ballarat with statutory notices that detail the next steps council must take to manage any legacy waste outside the boundary of the former landfill,” Ms McAteer said.

The EPA issued an order in June for the council to map the boundaries following complaints by concerned Duggan Street landowner Mark Hosking.

“The notice was issued by EPA after historic aerial photographs and sampling undertaken from nearby land indicated that waste was likely to have extended beyond what was thought to have been the boundary of the landfill that operated between 1978 and 1982,” Ms McAteer said.

Mr Hosking has led a four year campaign for council to fulfill its “legacy landfill” obligations after environmental firm Cardno Lane Piper found thousands of cubic metres of waste on his Duggan Street property, estimated to cost him more than $3 million to remediate.

Mr Hosking said it was upsetting the council didn’t just follow clean up orders placed it on by the 2014 Auditor General’s Managing Landfills report.

“It’s cost a lot of ratepayers money in legal fees and a lot of heartache,” he said.

“Now they are doing what they are supposed to be doing.”

The council’s infrastructure and environment director Terry Demeo confirmed the report had been lodged by its due date in accordance with the EPA requirements.

The former tip is now the site of the Chisholm Street Recreation Reserve.