Eco warriors block $150 million waste-to-energy plant in Laverton
This $150 million energy plant is set to divert tonnes of waste from landfill, create enough power for 20,000 homes, and employ dozens of Victorians. But an eco warrior group is bizarrely stalling construction of the Laverton facility.
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Eco warriors are bizarrely stalling construction of a $150 million energy plant that would divert waste from landfill to create enough power for 20,000 homes, and employ Victorians.
Zero Waste Victoria — which spruiks a “zero-waste society” — has appealed the EPA’s recent approval of the Laverton waste-to-energy plant at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
It would not outline its objections to the Sunday Herald Sun but in a social media post said Victorians should avoid creating any waste and instead “resuse, repurpose, recycle”, adding the plant was “not what I’d want in my backyard!”
The planned Recovered Energy Australia (REA) gasification plant, which will turn household rubbish destined for landfill into power, was given the green light by the Wyndham City Council in March 2019 and by the EPA in January this year.
The low-emissions plant would take about 18 months to build and employ locals in the construction process, as well as up to 40 permanently afterwards.
REA director Ian Guss said it was hoped the plant would be operational in 2022.
Once going, it would divert about 200,000 tonnes of rubbish from going into landfill, to produce energy.
“We will use a gasification process which effectively extracts energy from waste without burning it,” Mr Guss said.
“We believe you’re better off getting something out of waste than burying it in a hole.
“We will produce around 17 megawatts but will use some ourselves, so be left with about 15 or 16 megawatts to dispatch to local industry and into the grid.”
But the legal action launched by Zero Waste Victoria could cause delays, Mr Guss said.
Zero Waste Victoria describes itself as a not-for-profit, “community service” providing sustainable living advice. It was registered as a charity in March last year.
“Zero waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused,” its website states.
In an Instagram post late last year, it said the Laverton plant could create toxic waste.
“Which is not what I’d want in my backyard,” the group wrote.
“Additionally, long term contracts are being sought to lock councils into providing waste feedstock which could divert efforts to avoid and responsibly manage waste by avoid - reuse - repurpose — recycle,” the post said.
Zero Waste Victoria president and “insightful environmentalist”, Kirsty Bishop-Fox, said there were “concerns with particular aspects of the project … (that) need to be worked through”, but did not detail them.
“Zero Waste Victoria has initiated a review at the VCAT to ensure that if the project goes ahead, the conditions attached to the project ensure transparency and the best possible outcomes for the community, the environment and public health,” she said.
State opposition leader Michael O’Brien in November announced waste-to-energy as major platform for his party, saying it would help drive down electricity prices and solve Victoria’s recycling crisis.
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