Botany: Residents and businesses oppose ‘ludicrous’ waste management site

Residents and businesses in Botany are railing against a proposed waste transfer facility, citing concerns that include noise, pollution and traffic congestion.

A diagram showing the traffic congestion areas. Picture: NSW Government

Neighbours of a proposed Sydney waste management facility have vehemently opposed its construction, with residents and businesses united against the proposal described by one company as “ludicrous”.
Coombes Property Group and waste management company KLF Group are proposing to create a construction and demolition waste management facility in Botany.

The proposed site location, 2-4 Hale Street, is right next to Sydney Airport and would become a waste transfer facility, specifically for waste collection, treatment and disposal.

A development application outlines that the key elements of the project include demolishing existing structures, constructing a new warehouse, office and associated amenities, and dedicated parking space for cars.

The proposed facility would receive, sort and transfer up to 300,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste.

The proposed waste management site. Picture: NSW Government

However, residents living nearby and businesses operating in the area are furiously against the proposal, with many citing traffic congestion.

“Botany is already a congested suburb — adding more traffic by the way of trucks transporting waste materials to an already busy area without proper infrastructure will cause further pressure,” one unnamed objector stated in a submission.

“I am concerned about noise, pollution, potential hazardous materials pollution and increased traffic congestion from Hale St onto Foreshore Rd,” another person said.

A spokesman for Lovatt Transport Pty Ltd called it the “most ludicrous proposal I have seen in my 45 years of operating a port-related transport company”.

“I have witnessed the changes that opening Hale St to Foreshore Rd and closing Botany Rd to heavy vehicles have made during this time,” they said.

A diagram showing the traffic congestion areas (green highlights). Picture: NSW Government

“The traffic volume that uses Hale St as a route to get to the eastern suburbs has tripled in the last three years and this development will only add to the problems that already exist.

“Traffic coming off Foreshore and over the pipeline into Hale St would be disastrous going both ways as it is only two lanes wide and no room for error with large vehicles entering or leaving this site.”

The large vehicles have been flagged as an issue following a traffic impact assessment, which outlined how trucks would “deliver segregated heavy waste” to the site, which would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Resident Warren Gold pointed out this would impact those living close by, saying residents would be subjected to loud noises from trucks coming and going.

“My home is on Botany Rd, very close to the traffic lights at Hale St where the trucks would turn in and out. Apart from the Botany Shopping centre, this part of Botany Rd is very residential,” he said.

The residential areas that are near the proposed site. Picture: NSW Government

“It seems sensible that the major entrance and exit point would be by Foreshore Rd. There are no homes in this area, noise at any time would not annoy any residents.”

The project aims to increase the rate of recycling and resource recovery, support the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041, and encourage waste reduction.

The proposal specifically outlines that construction and demolition waste is the “largest waste stream” and can have a “significant effect on overall recycling rates”.

“(Construction and demolition) residual waste that cannot be recycled is disposed to non-putrescible landfills,” the proposal states.

A figure showing how close the proposed site would be to Sydney Airport. Picture: NSW Government

“In the Greater Sydney region, remaining non-putrescible landfill capacity is forecast to be utilised by 2027-28, increasing the imperative to develop the project to enable higher rates of diversion from landfill to be achieved.”

The site has been around since the early 1970s, evolving from a manufacturing plant for packs of jam and tomato sauce to a car repair shop, manufacturing furniture, soap making and even used as a motor showroom for car sales.