A family who moved to a small town for its affordable houses, vibrant community and quiet tree-lined streets fears a proposed energy-from-waste facility could end their country dream.
A fifth-generation Merino farmer reckons it is “deeply ironic” that a natural fibre like wool could risk contamination from the rubbish-burning plant proposed for Parkes, in central western NSW.
Two teenagers say they are already concerned enough about climate change without having to worry about plans for a similar operation near their home at Tarago, in the Southern Tablelands.
“Decisions like this can make young people feel like their futures don’t matter,” one of them wrote to a parliamentary committee given the task of scrutinising the proposed facilities.
It comes after the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) progressed a review of the energy-from-waste framework for the NSW Government.
The report also outlined some changes to the locations where facilities could be proposed and developed.
This included adding Tomago, near Newcastle, as a new priority infrastructure area, along with the former Wallerawang Power Station to the already established West Lithgow Precinct.
The NSW inquiry has received more than 120 written submissions and will soon hold hearings into the development of energy-from-waste plants, an issue that has united the two communities in opposition.
A majority of feedback expresses the sentiment that rural towns should not have to shoulder the burden of a city’s rubbish problem.
As Sydney’s landfill capacity rapidly dwindles, energy-from-waste facilities in the regions have been held up as a promising fix.
The developers of the Parkes project say their sophisticated technology will use enclosed combustion to burn household rubbish transported from Sydney, producing steam to generate electricity.
It will recover any by-products for use in construction materials, with 99.9% of its emissions being air, steam and water vapour, according to the project description.
Similar facilities operate in Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Singapore, Vienna and China, while Australia’s first such plant in WA is set to divert 460,000 tonnes of rubbish to generate 38 megawatts of power annually.
But, promises of clean, green circularity have done little to reassure those in the NSW towns, who point to the NSW Government’s ban on energy-from-waste facilities in Greater Sydney.
The state changed planning rules in 2022 to nominate four regional zones for waste processing, in part to maximise use of existing industrial infrastructure.
Community concerns about emissions and contamination should be taken seriously, Monash University environmental engineering researcher Jenny Zhou said.
Monash’s analysis of 600 facilities in China showed that while energy-from-waste was promising, the increase in plastic rubbish raised carbon emissions.
While the facilities contributed to reducing landfill emissions, the effectiveness of energy-from-waste varied depending on rubbish composition and upgraded technology.
“It is not a silver bullet,” Dr Zhou told AAP.
“We need to prioritise waste reduction and recycling first.”
However, some international operations built up public trust by providing real-time data on their emissions and using state-of-the-art technology like complex flue gas treatment to effectively eliminate toxins, she said.
A plant on the edge of Copenhagen’s CBD doubles as public infrastructure, complete with an artificial ski slope and hiking trails, in part to demonstrate its safety.
“No one wants their backyard as a dumping place, it’s a tricky problem,” Dr Zhou said.
“People need to have confidence in the technology.”
The NSW inquiry, established by the Nationals, will hear community concerns and investigate alternatives.
“It’s a chance to explore solutions that are fair, informed and inclusive,” chair Nichole Overall said.
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