Wanless Recycling Park: Ipswich Council to make decision on approving Ebenezer project

Councillors have made their call on a controversial $50 million development which would process up to one million tonnes of rubbish a year in Ipswich.

Veteran Ipswich councillor Paul Tully was alone in backing plans by a waste company to use mining voids for landfill as part of a controversial $50 million project.

The developmental approval of the Wanless Recycling Park went before councillors after 60 properly made submissions were lodged outlining concerns about the proposal set for a former coal mine at Ebenezer.

Council officers recommended to councillors they reject the landfill component but approve a recycling centre, with plans first submitted to the council in December 2019.

The Sydney Recycling Park operated by Wanless.

The State Government had already given its approval.

The facility would accept one million tonnes of waste a year and with a 45 per cent recycling target, 550,00 tonnes would need to be disposed by landfilling.

The full development was slated to create up to 300 jobs during construction and employ about 50 staff once it became operational.

Wanless said, at capacity, the facility would recycle more than 300,000 tonnes of waste a year that is presently going to landfill.

Mining on the site stopped in 2002.

The application was the first to be referred to the council’s Independent Decision Review Panel for public hearing, which was held on August 19.

Wanless submitted its plans for the project to the council in December 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Josh Woning

Labor stalwart Cr Tully proposed an amendment to the motion recommending the landfill aspect be rejected.

He argued the full development should be approved, subject to conditions prepared by council officers being imposed.

“This is different to just a landfill site, this is a proposed co-located site rather than just one landfill after another,” Cr Tully said.

“It’s a new opportunity and perhaps a new model that could be encouraged.

“(If the landfill component was rejected waste would) need to be trucked elsewhere and that it just adding to the number of truck movements rather than reducing them.

“This is a golden opportunity to work with the (State Government’s) Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner to get an outcome that’s good for the use of this co-located site.

“This is a new opportunity which can be conditioned obviously. I see this as a wonderful opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.”

Division 3 councillor Marnie Doyle said the council’s history of imposing conditions set on waste developments in the past have been “an epic failure”.

Only Cr Tully supported his own amendment.

The rest of the councillors voted in favour of the recommendation to reject the landfill aspect of the development, with Cr Tully abstaining from the vote.

ALP heavyweight and former Lord Mayor of Brisbane Jim Soorley served as project manager of the development.

“Our community expects the highest standards of scrutiny,” Mayor Teresa Harding said.

Wanless’ plans for the Ebenezer site.

“The community has made their views clear.

“Many of (the submissions against the proposal) highlighted the inconsistencies between the application and existing targets and positions of the state and council.”

Cr Harding said a new waste plan adopted last year was moving the council “away from dependency on landfill” and this project did not line up.

“As Ipswich’s population continues to grow and we are Queensland’s fastest growing city, it is no longer sustainable for Ipswich to be the site of choice for private landfill sites,” she said.

“(The project) raises environmental risks which have not been adequately addressed in this application. The base of the proposed landfill will ultimately sit below the groundwater table which leaves the potential of harmful substances seeping through the baseline.

“My view is that approving a new landfill in Ipswich is not in the interest of council, the community or our environment.

Division 2 councillor Paul Tully. Picture: Cordell Richardson

“There is no shortage of existing and lawful landfill sites in Ipswich which could accommodate this waste.”

Division 3 councillor Andrew Fechner urged Wanless not to appeal the decision.

“I support the recycling facility, I do not support, as per the recommendations, the establishment of a new landfill for a whole host of reasons,” he said.

“Let’s look at our history of compliance and the obstacles we face when it comes to assessing these sites for their level of compliance.

“We’ve got a history of it being so poor in Ipswich. How can we be assured that won’t continue to happen?

“There’s no established need for a brand new landfill here.”

Wanless CEO Dean Wanless said the company would review the council’s decision in detail before deciding whether to continue with the development.

But he said separating the recycling and landfill components made it “commercially unfeasible”.

Wanless CEO Dean Wanless said the process up to this point had already cost the company “many millions of dollars”.

“Given this proposal is one of the most innovative waste recovery and recycling facilities currently seeking approval in the southern hemisphere, we are disappointed by Ipswich City Council’s decision,” he said.

“However, we understand there are some parts of the local community opposed to the residual landfill component of our proposal.

“Unfortunately, Mayor Teresa Harding did not seem to consider the hundreds of jobs created by this proposal, which also involves a $200 million investment in recycling and recovery infrastructure. She has effectively voted against jobs.

“We are disappointed that council did not give due weight to the proposal and appear to have misunderstood it.

“Council’s suggestion that Wanless could transport unprocessable and residual wastes off-site to another location would also create extra traffic movements in the local area by 50 per cent.

“By council‘s admission, they acknowledge that they have let the community down when it comes to waste management compliance. This proposal was an opportunity to lift standards in the region, and they have chosen to reject it.”

Mr Wanless said two years of detailed investigations and planning had cost the company “many millions of dollars”.

“We have sought to comply with all planning requirements and openly work with Ipswich City Council and the State Government to invest in the region and generate local jobs,” he said.

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.

Originally published as Wanless Recycling Park: Ipswich Council to make decision on approving Ebenezer project