Four northern suburbs Labor MPs are backing a parliamentary petition opposing a waste to energy facility in Wollert.
As reported by Star Weekly, Cleanaway has applied to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for a development licence to build the facility at 510 Summerhill Drive.
Known as the Melbourne Energy and Resource Centre (MERC), Cleanaway said the facility will use 380,000 tonnes of waste material that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
The waste to energy process is forecast to generate approximately 46.3 megawatt gross of electricity, 4.7 megawatt of which would be used to power the facility itself. The remainder of 41.6 megawatt will be exported to the grid as base load electricity.
Residents are opposing the development, raising concerns about the ongoing health impacts of burning waste and the impacts on the environment. A community group, known as No Northern Incinerator Wollert, has formed to campaign against the facility.
Last week, state Climate Action, Energy and Resources Minister and Mill Park MP Lily D’Ambrosio, Thomastown MP Bronwyn Halfpenny and Yan Yean MP Lauren Kathage and federal Scullin MP Andrew Giles announced they would work with No Northern Incinerator Wollert to create a parliamentary petition.
Ms D’Ambrosio said the petition would enable all residents to “voice their opposition”.
“Over the past few months, when I’ve been talking with community about the proposed waste to energy incinerator in Wollert, the overwhelming consensus is that residents are not supportive of the proposal and have a list of serious and legitimate concerns about what it means for our local community,” she said.
” The concerns I’ve heard include the proximity to existing and planned housing, with the nearest residential property, as identified by the EPA, being approximately 110 metres from the site, the height of the project, the introduction of industrial traffic to Summerhill Road, as well as the project’s environmental impact.
No Northern Incinerator Wollert member Julie Ahmad said the group was happy to working with the local MPs on the petition.
“It means we are on the right path,” she said.
Ms Ahmad said there were still pockets of the community who were unaware of the proposal.
Cleanaway, in its online response to community submissions, said a human health risk assessment(HHRA) identified no unacceptable risks to community health, noting that the risk of odour impacts was low.
The EPA is currently assessing the application.
