Residents vow to fight incinerator plan over health fears
Furious residents claim their suburb is becoming the city’s dumping ground, following plans to build a $220m incinerator. But residents have said enough is enough and are fighting back.
Southern Courier
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Residents have vowed to fight the building of a $220 million waste incinerator plant — fearing for impacts it may have on their health.
The Southern Courier reported in August that Orora and waste management firm Suez were working on a joint venture to build a waste incinerator plant at the recycled paper mill site on Botany Rd, Matraville.
The proposed plant would incinerate up to 165,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste each year — roughly the same weight as the Sydney Opera House — including reject material and plastics from the paper mill.
Steam and electricity from the plant would then help power the mill while keeping reject materials from being sent to landfill.
However, residents are concerned about the health implications for the community.
The Matraville Precinct Residents’ Committee held a meeting last Monday night at Matraville RSL to discuss the proposal, resolving to oppose the project.
Precinct chairman Steve McAndrew said while representatives from Orora and Suez were in attendance and answered questions from residents, community members held serious concerns about the project.
“The main concern for the community really is no-one knows what is going to be released into the air.”
He said the size of the stack would also create an “eyesore” for residents.
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“The Botany area is one of the most heavily polluted areas anywhere in NSW. We seem to be a bit of a dumping ground for all this kind of industry.”
A scoping report submitted last month states the plant would be called the Botany Cogeneration Plant and operate 24 hours per day.
It would also cost about $220 million to build and the nearest residential area will be 130m away on Moorina Ave.
“Suez Australia is exploring the possibility of constructing a cogeneration plant to provide steam and electricity to power the Orora Botany recycled paper mill,” a Suez Australia spokesman said.
“The plant, which would be located on Orora land adjacent to the mill, will convert safe, non-recyclable materials that would otherwise go to landfill into electricity and steam to power the paper mill.
“This will reduce the mill’s reliance on fossil fuel-based electricity and natural gas.”
The report detailed the “fuel” to be used included waste from the mill including plastic tape and stickers which currently end up in landfill.
“Air emissions from the plant will include steam, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, all which exist in the atmosphere naturally,” a Suez spokeswoman said in August.
“Before being released, these compounds go through a multistage cleaning process to make sure they are neutralised.
“Preliminary modelling, subject to further review, indicates that emissions from the proposed plant could be compared to the operation of around 14 diesel buses and would be monitored on a continuous basis.”
Randwick councillor Dylan Parker said there were no benefits for the community in building the plant.
“There are hundreds of homes within meters of the stack. Locals need to feel safe and at the moment they’re worried,” he said.
“Undeniably, we need a solution to deal with our waste but there is no good reason why it must be burned within meters of homes.”
The mill recycles old cardboard boxes to make recycled brown paper, which is then made into new boxes.
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