Eastern Creek Next Generation incinerator appeal in court
A five-year battle between developers and angry residents over a controversial incinerator planned for western Sydney has been taken to court.
Blacktown
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Developers behind plans to build the “world’s biggest incinerator” in Eastern Creek will continue their fight to green light the controversial development.
The Next Generation incinerator will be taken to the Land and Environment Court this week after plans were knocked back by the Independent Planning Commission in 2018.
The $290 million proposal has been the source of intense community and political outcry for five years, with many residents, Mayor Tony Bleasdale and Blacktown State Labor MP Stephen Bali firmly rejecting the proposal due to health and environmental concerns.
A conciliation conference will be heard in court this week, with members of the public invited to raise their objections at a public meeting.
The Advocate has been informed residents from neighbouring suburbs Minchinbury and St Clair have not been invited to speak.
More than 20 objectors, including representatives from the EPA, Blacktown Council and the local community are expected to address the meeting on Thursday.
The previous plan sought to burn up to 550,000 tonnes of waste per year at the energy from waste facility off Honeycomb Dr in the Eastern Creek Industrial Estate.
Revised plans have reduced the amount of waste processed down to 300,000 tonnes per year.
In July 2019, the commission formally refused the development after receiving dozens of community objections, citing “uncertainty” surrounding “long-term risks to the environment and the health of the local community”.
However, developers have maintained the facility would address landfill capacity issues in Sydney while providing energy to supply as many as 36,000 homes.
The Next Generation has maintained that the facility would use “safe, reliable, tried and proven technology” to produce green energy from rubbish that would otherwise end up in landfill.
Blacktown Mayor Tony Bleasdale said the council would continue to fight the proposal.
“For more than five years, council has acted to defend (the) community against the potential public health and environmental impacts of ill-planned waste incinerators at Eastern Creek,” Cr Bleasdale said.
“This week, the community battle continues at a compulsory conciliation conference as part of the applicants appeal in the Land and Environment Court.
“The Blacktown City community will be well represented, and Council will maintain its strong legal engagement.
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