Public submissions have opened for the upcoming Victorian Parliamentary inquiry into the state’s push for waste-to-energy plants.
South-Eastern Metropolitan MP Rachel Payne, who pushed for the inquiry, says there are 11 licences for the “incinerators”, including in Dandenong South.
This is more than every other Australian state and territory combined, she says.
The inquiry will examine potential social, environmental and economic impacts of waste-to-energy – including the effect on recycling.
Ms Payne said it was a “disgrace” that “not just municipal waste, but toxic chemicals and industrial waste” will be burned in Dandenong South.
“Let’s be clear what is happening here – the rubbish of inner-city Melbourne will be packed up, trucked out, and burned in our back yards,” Ms Payne said.
“If rubbish incinerators are so great, I would suggest we pop one in Spring Street – it’s much closer to the latte belt.”
In 2020, Environment Protection Authority Victoria issued a works permit for the Great Southern Technologies WtE plant to burn 100,000 tonnes of municipal and industrial waste per year.
There was “little potential for health impacts or risk from the exposure to emissions from modern waste to energy facilities”, the EPA stated.
After a public outcry, Greater Dandenong Council initially opposed the proposal, but withdrew its appeal.
Since then, it has joined eight other Melbourne councils in agreeing to supply rubbish to a waste-to-energy incinerator in Maryvale.
The councils are locked into a “minimum tonnage” supply contract with an energy consortium including Veolia, diverting at least 95 per cent of household rubbish from landfill to the WtE plant for 25 years.
Submissions close on 27 March. The inquiry will be required to report by August this year.
Details: parliament.vic.gov.au/wastetoenergyinquiry#terms
