Ban Waste-to-Energy incinerator facilities within the Goulburn-Mulwaree and Southern Tablelands Region
Petitioner:
Mr Roderick Thiele
| Member:
Tuckerman, Wendy
| No. of Signatories:
2,525
| Date closed:
13/05/2022
To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly,
Goulburn Mulwaree, the Southern Tablelands region and greater New South Wales say NO to building a waste-to-energy incinerator at the Woodlawn Eco Precinct, Tarago to burn waste from Sydney as per the current State Significant Development application from Veolia (Woodlawn ARC).
We request the NSW government direct the EPA to remove the “Southern Goulburn Mulwaree Precinct” from the list of permissible locations to build a waste-to-energy incinerator within relevant policy, regulation and legislation, and prohibit these facilities anywhere in the Southern Tablelands region.
Such a facility would pollute the surrounding region’s air, waterways and agricultural land with dangerous toxins such as mercury, lead and persistent environmental pollutants such dioxins and furans.
A systemic review of the health impacts of waste incineration published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health in 2020 (Tait et al) and referenced in the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer’s report to the Minister for the Environment in November 2020 concluded “there is insufficient evidence to conclude that any incinerator is safe”. It also noted “new incinerators should be located away from areas of food production” and “food grown near an incinerator should be avoided”. The proposed site is surrounded by prime agricultural land producing food for people across Australia.
We implore the government to implement more environmental and sustainable options to deal with Sydney’s waste that create a circular economy without threatening the health, environment and livelihoods of those who live in regional NSW.
