Protesters, NSW Labor call for NSW government to stop all incinerator proposals
The controversial plans for a waste to energy facility in Sydney’s west has faced further backlash as the NSW Opposition Leader weighed in on the issue at a protest.
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Protesters have renewed their campaign to stop any construction of waste to energy incinerators being built in western Sydney — rallying the support of NSW opposition leader Jodi McKay.
Ms McKay joined Blacktown state Labor MP Stephen Bali and protesters on Old Wallgrove Rd, Eastern Creek on Tuesday, October 8, to call on the State Government to make its chief scientist and engineer, Hugh Durrant-Whyte, a leader in the assessment process for the newly proposed waste to energy facility by Australia’s largest waste management company, Cleanaway.
EASTERN CREEK INCINERATOR: Protestors campaign to stop the $500m plan for a waste to energy facility by Cleanaway. @dailytelegraph pic.twitter.com/IesAoytk0h
— Jake McCallum (@JakeMcCallum_) October 8, 2019
HOW WE BROKE THE STORY:
EASTERN CREEK INCINERATOR: CLEANAWAY REVEALS PLAN FOR $500M INCINERATOR
PROTEST FIRES UP OVER CLEANAWAY WASTE TO ENERGY FACILITY
On Thursday, the Blacktown Advocate exclusively revealed plans for the $500 million facility, which proposes to create enough energy to power 65,000 homes across western Sydney each year.
Cleanaway chief executive, Vik Bansal, proposed the development of the state-of-the-art facility would decrease landfill volumes by 95 per cent and provide a solution to Australia’s growing landfill issue.
But the NSW Opposition have called for the government to issue a moratorium on all proposals for incinerators in western Sydney, “until assessment, policy and regulations are brought into the 21st century”.
“I am calling on the Planning Minister, Rob Stokes and Environment Minister, Matt Kean, to work together to establish a base-standard for this technology being implemented in NSW,” Ms McKay told protesters on Tuesday.
“We want the government to appoint the state’s chief scientist to be part of the creation of the new policy, so residents can have confidence that the appropriate controls are being put in place.
“You cannot expect that residents will feel comfortable with this new technology without these guidelines and I’d like to see Environment Minister Matt Kean take the lead on this and create evidence-based policy.”
No Incinerator for Western Sydney spokeswoman Kerri Bradbury said there was “no support” for the Cleanaway development in Eastern Creek.
“There will be more than 2500 students in schools within a 2km radius of this incinerator and NSW Health,” she said.
“And the NSW Independent Planning Commission have already raised serious concern around the health implications of these facilities.
“I don't believe these facilities should be built anywhere in Australia — we shouldn’t be going down this road.”
The NSW Planning Department said it was “inappropriate” to comment on a proposal that had not been submitted.
The Advocate asked the department if it would agree to calls for Mr Durrant-Whyte to oversee policy reformation and the installation of a moratorium on incinerators until a new policy is complete.
In a letter to residents following previous proposals for incinerators in western Sydney, former Parliamentary secretary for regional and rural health, Leslie Williams, said NSW Health expressed concerns regarding the potential impact on human health of the proposed energy from waste facility at Eastern Creek.
A Cleanaway spokesman said western Sydney’s landfills are expected to reach capacity in the next 10 to 15 years, yet the amount of non-recyclable red bin waste is expected to increase “significantly”.
“The proposal, which has yet to undergo a rigorous approvals process, would bring safe, proven technology that is in use in around 500 energy-from-waste plants in Europe including in cities where people work and live,” he said.
“This technology effectively cleans the air before any emission from the plant.
“The planning rules in NSW assess the outputs of any development – and involves a comprehensive public consultation process that enables the public to seek answers to their question and concerns.”
The spokesman said community consultation has already started for the project.