Tara Murray
A facility offering an environmentally-friendly alternative to landfills won’t be built in Melbourne’s north-west, with the state’s peak waste management body opting not to proceed with the project.
Councils across Melbourne’s north-west had been working with the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) on a business case for the procurement of an advanced waste processing facility for the region.
The facility would allow waste to be put to good use rather than being dumped in a tip.
But it was revealed at a recent Brimbank council meeting that the MWRRG had advised council the project would not go ahead due to state government funding constraints.
A similar project is proceeding in Melbourne’s south-east.
The decision to not proceed with a facility in the north-west has angered Brimbank council, which will write to Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’ambrosio to lobby for funding for the project.
Councillor Bruce Lancashire said the council was concerned about the implications of the decision on Brimbank and the west.
“The concern here is that in the south-east of Melbourne we are seeing a waste facility built… And we want to see the same thing in the north-west. That is fairly simple and so logical,” he said.
“If you don’t do that, where does that leave us in Brimbank and the west? It leaves us putting our rubbish in a tip.
“Possibly the scenario might be we have to send it all off to an incinerator and produce massive amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases.
“None of this is at all desirable… We are left in limbo.”
Cr Lancashire and Cr Tachos highlighted that the council and residents had paid millions in fees to the state government through the landfill levy and the community deserved to get something in return.
Cr Tachos said that if nothing changes, landfills in Brimbank will become the legacies for future generations.
Mayor Ranka Rasic said there needed to be viable environmentally friendly ways to dispose of waste rather than dumping waste in landfills.
“Our communities are certainly fed up of living next to landfills and being impacted by them,” she said.
MWRGG chief executive Jillian Riseley confirmed that the program in the north-west wouldn’t go ahead.
“Councils and MWRRG previously considered the development of a business case for advanced waste processing in the north west but it was not pursued,” she said.
“Procurements for advanced waste processing facilities generally take several years. Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group has been exploring waste management options with councils in Melbourne’s north west but had not committed to a procurement of an advanced waste processing facility.
“Working in partnership with councils, MWRRG was considering a business case for advanced waste processing as an early first step. The business case would have considered the viability of an advanced waste processing facility in the north west of Melbourne, which may have eventually led to a procurement.
“However, there was insufficient interest from councils in the north west in an advanced waste processing facility to pursue a business case.”
“We continue to support councils to reduce waste to landfill through support for commingled and food and green waste recycling and accessing funding and grants through Recycling Victoria: a new economy. “
