Cleanaway has withdrawn its current application for a development licence for its contentious Waste to Energy (WtE) facility in Wollert.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) was scheduled to make a decision on Cleanaway’s proposal to build the Melbourne Energy Resource Recovery Centre (MERC) at 510 Summerhill Road on Saturday, August 30, but told Star Weekly on Monday, September 1 that Cleanaway had withdrawn its application prior to the decision deadline.
Star Weekly understands the application has been withdrawn amid plans to submit an updated application to the EPA to reflect Recycling Victoria’s decision to grant Cleanaway a significantly higher waste burning cap.
As reported by Star Weekly, on Sunday, August 17, Recycling Victoria approved a cap licence for Cleanaway to process up to 760,000 tonnes of waste per year.
The licence was double the original application limit of 380,000 tonnes.
The expanded capacity represents about 13 per cent of Victoria’s landfill-bound waste, projected to generate enough electricity to supply 140,000 homes and businesses.
No Northern Incinerator community group member Cath Rousse criticised the EPA for failing to update those who made individual submissions about the proposed WtE facility.
Cleanaway’s decision came as residents opposed to the WtE incinerator gathered at Whittlesea’s council offices on Sunday, August 31, unaware the application had been withdrawn.
The community meeting was attended by Whittlesea mayor Martin Taylor who said council moved to reject Cleanaway’s planning application and development license submission for the MERC back in December 2024.
Ms Rousse said WtE facilities were not allowed in Sydney or the ACT, and residents didn’t want them in Whittlesea.
Ganbu Gulinj Ward councillor Lawrie Cox, speaking on a personal basis, said having a commercial industrial incinerator within a kilometre of residential housing is not acceptable in this day and age.
“It was some 40 years ago we recognised burning off in the backyard was a problem and we banned property incinerators,” he said.
“The community in Wollert and Epping North have been very vocal in their opposition to this planned incinerator.”.
Julie Ahmad, a local resident and administrator for the No Northern Incinerator Facebook group, said the project had been “very quietly put together” since Cleanaway purchased the site in 2021.
“No one understood what this incinerator meant. There’s been a complete lack of consultation,” Mrs Ahmad said.
“Cleanaway says they’ve consulted, but the only way people have heard about it is through our Facebook group. If you ask anyone in the supposed letter drop range, they’ll tell you they never received anything.”
Prior to withdrawing its development licence application, Cleanaway told Star Weekly community engagement commenced in 2021 when the MERC project was first announced, with additional community engagement services made available later on.
“There were additional engagement opportunities throughout 2023 and 2024 including in-person and online information sessions, as well as one-on-one meetings with the Cleanaway team,” a statement said. “Cleanaway also established a stakeholder reference group made up of local residents from a range of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds with an interest in the proposal, providing an active channel between the local community and Cleanaway.”
The proposed MERC will be one of Victoria’s WtE facility proposals to be examined as part of a parliamentary inquiry..
On August 26, the Victorian upper house backed the inquiry into WtE projects, following a motion from MP Rachel Payne.
The inquiry will examine consultation processes, the siting of projects near homes and schools, and long-term social, economic and environmental consequences. Ms Payne said while WtE facilities are often presented as a solution to landfill, the rapid growth of the industry in Victoria raised significant questions.
“These are not backyard incinerators of the past, they will still be burning
through millions of tonnes of waste,” she said. “We must ask whether this is the future we want – one that risks polluting our people and planet?”
Wollert residents joined campaigners from Sunbury, Lara and Lynbrook at Parliament House to support the motion.
