By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A proposed waste-to-energy plant in Dandenong South has been met by an overwhelming public backlash from hundreds of residents over air quality and health concerns.
The Environment Protection Authority and the plant’s proponent Great Southern Waste have agreed to hold off the plant’s assessment – so to stage a public conference to respond to the “high community interest”.
Residents – as close as 1.4 kilometres from the plant – have written letters and signed petitions, decrying the 70 Ordish Road site’s proximity to Dandenong Creek, schools, colleges, kindergartens, places of worship and homes.
A 280-signature petition’s covering letter stated homes were already impacted by two waste-related facilities, an organics garden and a commercial and industrial waste facility.
“Local residents have already made numerous complaints and reports to local council and EPA regarding the weird smells around our area.
“This (waste-to-energy plant) will definitely make the situation worse.”
A Keysborough South resident wrote that the proposal would “literally shatter mine and so many other families’ dreams”.
“How can our kids still go to the local parks where there is air pollution, weird smells?”
Another wrote: “I appreciate and encourage the new technology however the location must be reselected. It cannot be built so close to our homes!”
On 3 March, the EPA will hold a ‘20b’ community conference to “better understand the views and concerns of the community and stakeholders”.
Independently chaired, the meeting will discuss “possible resolutions” to public objections, the EPA stated.
The EPA has also sought extra technical details from the plant’s proponent Great Southern Waste
The list of 28 items included details on air emissions, odours, accidental emissions, air monitoring and auditing of waste fed into the plant.
Great Southern Waste is required to respond by 2 March.
The proposed gasification plant is estimated to process 100,000 tonnes a year of non-recyclable municipal solid waste, and commercial and industrial waste.
The plant will create a net reduction of 142,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent emissions – or greenhouse gases, according to Great Southern Waste.
The plant would supply about 7.9 Megawatts of electricity to the grid – enough to power 7000 homes. About 1.4 Megawatts will be generated to power the facility.
Half of the waste fuel is expected to be organics and food scraps, Great Southern Waste stated.
The submission has a long list of excluded material such as prescribed industrial waste, asbestos, building materials, radioactive waste, chemical waste, medical waste, carcasses and residential ‘hard waste’.
Great Southern Waste Technologies director Bill Keating said, contrary to objections, there would be little pollution from the plant.
He has described it as “world’s best practice” and “comfortably compliant” with European Union standards, which are adopted in Victoria.
Mr Keating acknowledged Keysborough residents’ concerns about health impacts, which he hoped to address during the conference.
He noted that no objections had been lodged by neighbouring businesses, Greater Dandenong Council or ‘green’ groups.
According to GSWT’s modelling, even at maximum expected emission levels, there would be “negligible” human health impact and no pollution guideline breaches, Mr Keating said.
“It tells us that we can operate there and operate well within the levels of adverse human impact.”
Homes as close as 1.4 kilometres from the plant would receive “very little impact at all”.
They were outside the buffer area for the site’s industrial-2 zone, one of the few areas of greater Melbourne where the plant could be built, Mr Keating said.
“In Europe, some of these facilities are 250-300 metres from homes, schools and council buildings.
“After 25 years of operating, you can’t find long-term detriment to any people living near these facilities.
“That gives us confidence in what we’re doing.”
In November, Greater Dandenong councillors rescinded its permit approval for building works.
The council had planned to wait for the EPA’s verdict before reconsidering the proposal. However due to the delay extending beyond the statutory time-frame, GWST has appealed to VCAT to decide the matter.
Cr Maria Sampey, who led the rescission, said councilors were being ignored by the proponents.
“I want to have the full results (from the EPA) before I make a decision.”
The community conference is at City of Greater Dandenong Civic Centre, 225 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong on 3 March, 6pm-9pm.
To register attendance, go to https://engage.vic.gov.au/epa-works-approvals/GSWT
