Circular Metals’ Garbis Simonian responds to concerns over plans for Gladesville metal recycling yard

A Sydney business identity is pushing ahead with plans to build a new scrap metal recycling yard in the northern suburbs after the proposal sparked furious backlash from residents.

A photo showing the location of the new development.

A Sydney business identity is pushing ahead with plans to build a new scrap metal recycling yard after the proposal sparked furious backlash from residents with claims it would create “unbearable noise” and impact the “health and wellbeing” of locals.

Major development plans have been lodged by Circular Metals to create a new recycling transfer station at Gladesville which will be used to recycle 500 tonnes of scrap per week and up to 25,000 tonnes each year.

The $1.48m development at 50-52 Buffalo Rd would involve demolishing a former car yard to make way for the new recycling point.

Once up and running, residents would be able to drop off materials including ferrous steel, e-waste, batteries, lead, zinc and white goods.

Scrap metals would then be reloaded onto semi trailers and trucks for off-site shredding and remelting to be repurposed into new products such as building materials and steel train wheels.

The plans have been lodged with Ryde Council.

Managing director Garbis Simonian said the proposal would encourage residents to recycle materials rather than dump bulky goods at local tips.

“We have been in business for 25 years and it’s all about moving to a sustainable future and recycling resources rather than have them going to landfill,” he said. “There is no other scrap collection yard within a 15km radius of us and if we want to move to a sustainable future we need to make it convenient for people to drop off items that can be recycled.”

Garbis Simonian is the managing director of Weston Group, which owns Circular Metals.

The proposal has sparked more than 100 submissions from residents raising objections over noise impacts, environmental concerns, and traffic impacts on local schools including Holy Cross College, 400m east of the site.

Local business owner Jeremy Ducklin in a submission said he “strongly objected” to the plans.

“The noise and vibration from this business are unbearable when operating. I have 10 staff and I get complaints from them about their health and well being regarding the noise and vibration from this business,” he said.

“Circular Metals should move to an area that has zoning to match their business type rather than pursuing an application that is green washing.”

A photo of the current site.

Another submission stated the development could “convert Gladesville into a heavy industrial suburb and open the floodgates to other businesses to expand their industrial footprint”.

Mr Simonian has hit back at objections, saying “the reaction was over the top and disproportionate”.

“There will always be NIMBYs who oppose any development that will have any impact at all but what they don't understand is that to build the infrastructure to improve sustainability, we need to build new buildings to operate better than the old ways,” he said. “We’re located in a light industrial area and it’s zoned right.

“If we don’t have these recycling points a lot of metal bearing waste such as white goods will go to landfill or people will dump them illegally.”

Plans state there would be protocols in place to address noise and other disturbances including setting sound limits on mechanical equipment, and scheduling arrivals from trucks to ensure there is one vehicle entering or leaving the site in a 15-minute period;

Vehicle movements would also be restricted to core hours of operation to minimise impacts on surrounding residents.

Plans have been lodged to Ryde Council and are currently under assessment.

If approved, the site would operate from 7am – 6pm Monday to Fridays, and 8am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Originally published as Circular Metals’ Garbis Simonian responds to concerns over plans for Gladesville metal recycling yard