Independent Planning Commission rejects Eastern Creek incinerator
THE independent Planning Commission has today rejected an application to build the “world’s biggest incinerator” at Eastern Creek, following years of community campaigns against the project.
Blacktown
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THE independent Planning Commission has rejected an application to build the “world’s biggest incinerator” at Eastern Creek, following years of community campaigns against the project.
On Thursday it was announced plans for the controversial proposal from Ian Malouf’s Dial A Dump company, titled The Next Generation, would not receive the support of the independent panel due to “uncertain” health and environmental impacts.
The commission said in a statement that the plant — which would have operated 24 hours per day and burn 550,000 tonnes of waste per year — was not “in the public interest”.
“The commission finds that the key issue in its consideration of the project is the uncertainty around the project’s emissions and the results of the applicant’s predicted modelling,” the statement said.
“Given this uncertainty, the commission finds that it is unable to determine the project’s impacts on the locality and has persuaded the commission to adopt a precautionary approach to the consideration and determination of the project’s impacts on air quality and human health.
“The commission finds that, while there are benefits to the public from the project, there is sufficient uncertainty around the project’s impacts on air quality, water quality and human health that mean that the project is not in the public interest”.
The announcement is a major win for the community, Blacktown Council and local politicians, who campaigned hard against the plans.
In a statement, proponents The Next Generation said it accepted the decision but said it was a “wasted opportunity” for a State Government facing a “looming crisis” in waste management.
It claimed the plant would have recycled unusable waste to create a secure energy supply for 100,000 homes, with 35 countries using the “tried and proven” thermal technology around the world.
It accused the commission of instead listening to the “ill-placed concerns” of government departments including NSW Health and the Environmental Protection Authority.
“This is an opportunity literally wasted by the NSW government as Sydney faces a looming crisis in landfill,” the statement said.
Spokeswoman for anti-incinerator campaigners No Incinerator for Western Sydney Melinda Wilson said the community had won.
““It is a huge win for our community, and for the air quality of Sydney. We are very grateful that the IPC made the correct decision today,” Ms Wilson said.
Blacktown Mayor and state Labor MP Stephen Bali said the decision was “a win for common sense” but wanted laws change to prevent similar proposals going ahead in Sydney.
“The win is a result of a long hard thought Community campaign.
“The laws in assessing these incinerators must change to reflect the community expectations and remove the uncertainty in the assessment process.”
Mulgoa state Liberal MP Tanya Davies said the proposal “failed to meet the most basic health and environmental standards.”
“From the start we have made it clear that we did not want an incinerator at Eastern Creek,” she said.
“The risks were just too great. The facility was just too big. There were no adequate guarantees to ensure the health and safety of people in western Sydney.”
Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham also welcomed the “big win”. But he was concerned that the commission’s findings indicated the level of opposition from residents wasn’t a relevant consideration in its decision, and feared an amended proposal could yet be approved.
“The government should now back the Greens Bill which will ban large waste to energy incinerators within 15 kilometres of residential zonings to end this uncertainty permanently,” he said.
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