Tarago community against Veolia energy-from-waste incinerator

Fallout from a proposed energy-from-waste incinerator could ‘travel up to 30km’ say detractors, who are calling for the project to be scrapped. Neighbours councils are also backing the campaign.

Neighbouring councils of a controversial $600 million waste-from-energy incinerator proposed for Tarago are backing calls for the project to be stopped.

After more than a decade of enduring odour issues from a Veolia landfill site on an old copper and zinc mine, the community is against the company’s next proposal in the rural town.

Goulburn Mulwaree Council, who has publicly opposed the project, is mobilising other councils close to the proposed incinerator to join its fight against the venture.

If approved, the facility would be capable of burning 710,000 tonnes of waste from Sydney each year. It is considered a state significant project and will be determined by the NSW Independent Planning Commission.

Supplied Editorial

Mayor Bob Kirk told a public rally on Saturday he had been in contact with the Country Mayors Association, and it was supporting calls for the State Government to refuse the incinerator development application until a better plan was put in place.

“The Country Mayors Association oppose the energy-from-waste infrastructure plan in its current form and request that it not be advanced until it is amended at least, to include metropolitan locations for (energy from waste) facilities,” Cr Kirk said.

“A decision could well be made before a federal election, I hope not.

“The information we have is that there’s a potential 30km affected area, and that sort of thing should be brought to the attention to those that could be affected, like Goulburn, Yass, Queanbeyan and the ACT.”

Supplied Editorial

Cr Kirk said Yass Valley Council had already passed a resolution to strongly support the position Goulburn Mulwaree Council was taking.

“When the EIS comes out, that’s the door to combat the project,” Cr Kirk told residents.

Around 100 increasingly frustrated residents from Tarago, Goulburn, Braidwood and Bungendore protested, saying they were concerned about the incinerator and its potential health and environmental impacts on the community.

Seventh-generation farmer from Lake Bathurst, Austin McLennan, who lives just 9km away from the precinct, said it would have a huge affect on his life.

“On our farm, we run sheep and cattle, we also make hay, so the potential impacts from the particles coming out of the incinerator and falling on our land could have a huge impact on us,” Mr McLennan said.

“If any of these potential toxins were to get in our feed and affect our animals, it could ruin our meat business.

“We’ve spent a huge amount of money on infrastructure, having been there for 45 years, and for this to be affected, that would be heartbreaking.

“Besides affecting the community and surrounds, this is an issue that could potentially affect Sydney’s water supply.

“The water supply for everyone is a huge issue, and everything from this eastern side of the Great Divide runs to Sydney, and the people in Sydney then drink the water.”

Goulburn state Liberal MP Wendy Tuckerman also raised the issue in State Parliament before Minister Rob Stokes and Matt Kean on Tuesday night. 

Late yesterday evening I spoke in Parliament on my position on Waste to Energy projects in the Goulburn electorate.

Posted by Wendy Tuckerman MP on Tuesday, November 9, 2021

“Understanding health impacts of ultra fine particles is a major area of research internationally,” Ms Tuckerman told parliament.

“There is incomplete information about the development, size, distribution and composition of ultra fine particles.”

“There is nothing written in the chief scientist’s report that provides any certainty that these wont pose any kind of threats to the health of the community or to the environment.

“The chief scientist report mentions the avoidance of proximity to food production, yet this precinct at Tarago is surrounded by fertile, agricultural land producing grain and livestock.”

Ms Tuckerman said Veolia’s noncompliance record with the current waste site in Tarago was concerning.

Veolia's current waste site, where the incinerator will be, if approved. Picture: Niki Iliagoueva

Earlier this year, the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) fined Veolia Environmental Services (Australia) $15,000 for leaking containers carrying waste, at its Crisps Creek Intermodal Facility at Tarago.

“Based on the many odour complaints from my office and the noncompliance, I can understand the communities hesitancy in supporting Veolia on this project,” Ms Tuckerman said.

A Veolia spokesman said the government’s Energy from Waste Infrastructure Plan supported a more sustainable approach and would crucially drive Australia up the waste hierarchy towards recycling.

“We are in the process of conducting independent assessments to demonstrate how the ARC (advanced recovery centre) will meet the health, environmental, and operational standards set by the government – which will be the highest standards in the world – and that there will be no unsafe impact to local communities,” he said.

“This will be demonstrated during the environmental impact assessment process, and then the government will decide if the ARC has the merits needed to go ahead.”