‘Transcend politics’: Premier Jacinta Allan weighs into Lara incinerator plans

Jacinta Allan has acknowledged community concern over the proposed Lara incinerator during a visit to Northern Bay College on Friday.

Selfie time: Lara MP Ella George (second from left) and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan during their visit to Northern Bay College’s Goldsworthy campus on Friday. Picture: Alison Wynd

Premier Jacinta Allan is aware of the fierce opposition facing the construction of a waste-to-energy facility in Lara but she says an independent process overseen by the environmental regulator must be allowed to play out.

Ms Allan praised the advocacy of local MP Ella George, who was one of several politicians to attend yet another community rally against the proposal on Sunday.

“I am aware that this is an important issue here in the local community,” Ms Allan said during a visit to Northern Bay College on Friday.

“This is part of a process right now, an independent process, that will ultimately go through the Minister for Planning (Sonya Kilkenny), so I can’t cut across that process.

“But I do know that as part of that independent process, Ella, as the local member, has been representing very strongly the views of the local community.”

The Premier’s comments come a week after 18 Geelong business leaders penned a letter to her stating their staunch opposition.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) granted Melbourne-based Prospect Hill International a development licence in December.

The first phase of works under the development licence is the preparation of detailed designs of the facility by the company.

These designs must be approved by EPA before the project can commence to the next phase.

Lara MP Ella George is opposed to a waste-to-energy facility in her electorate. Picture: Alan Barber.

Opposition to the incinerator has brought together both sides of politics, with Labor, Liberal and the Greens all represented at Sunday’s protest.

“Obviously from time to time there are issues in local communities than transcend politics,” Ms Allan said.

“I can acknowledge that I have heard and understood the concerns of the local community.”

Bisinella Developments has launched legal action in an attempt to overturn the EPA’s decision on the basis it conducted “minimum community consultation” and made its decision with “inappropriate haste”.

The company’s Lara Lakes Estate is located 5km north of the where the incinerator would be located on McManus Rd.

Geelong council, which has said it won’t send its own waste to the facility should it eventuate, has no say in the matter.

The incinerator would process approximately 400,000 tonnes of waste annually, all of which would otherwise find itself in landfill.

This would generate 35MW of electricity, enough to power up to 50,000 homes, according to Prospect Hill.

Lino and Richard Bisinella at the site of the proposed Lara incinerator. Picture: Mike Dugdale.

Ms Allan was in town to inspect upgrades at Northern Bay College’s Goldsworthy campus, where she was flanked by Ms George and principal Scott Diamond.

More than $17m of government funding has been delivered over the past four years across the school’s five campuses.

Final works on a new arts centre and classrooms at Goldsworthy finished last month.

“Senior students at Northern Bay P-12 College are thrilled by their brand-new classrooms and arts and events space, and it is fantastic to see their new facilities in action,” Ms George said.

Ms Allan also visited Bellarine Secondary College on Friday.

Originally published as ‘Transcend politics’: Premier Jacinta Allan weighs into Lara incinerator plans