Greens (WA) East Metropolitan representative, the Hon. Tim Clifford MLC condemns the process that is leaving the local community in the dark when it comes to decisions about how their waste will be treated. A proposal by the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council will see residual waste from local residents trucked as far as 100 kilometres south to a Waste to Energy facility in Rockingham. Finalisation of the award of the tender is subject to approval of member Councils and other environmental approvals.
“This proposal concerns me on a number of levels, the first of which is the lack of transparency in communicating and consulting with the very residents who have been reducing, recycling and reusing. Surely they should have a say in this.
“Waste to Energy is a dirty and inefficient way to produce energy, and there will inevitably be residue left behind to dispose of. This type of energy production receives only a 50 per cent energy rating and cannot compete with renewables
“The scale and duration of the contract which will see an annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes of waste for a 20 year period represents a large portion of the total landfill (649,807 tonnes) of the metro region, and yet the EMRC constitutes only one third of the metro population.
“I am concerned that our residents will be locked a contract to provide an unrealistic amount of waste. Who knows what contractual disincentives will apply if the quantity of waste is not supplied?
“I firmly believe we should be motivating individuals and businesses to understand and support the environmental, social and economic benefits of waste minimisation and the approval of a Waste to Energy plant sends the wrong signal.”