HOBSONS Bay City Council has given conditional support to a state-of-the-art $100 million recycling facility that could see huge reductions in landfill waste in the western suburbs.
The Wet Materials Recovery Facility, which converts some household waste into energy and fertiliser, may result in up to 75 per cent of solid waste, now dumped in landfill, to be recycled.
The council agreed to support the project subject to a series of stringent conditions, including securing adequate State and Federal Government funding, improving the plant as new technology becomes available and building it in Brooklyn.
The council indicated that it would pull out of the project should any conditions not be met and imposed a 24-month deadline on negotiations.
The Western Regional Waste Management Group, which consists of western metropolitan councils including Hobsons Bay, put out a tender for the project in 2004.
Global Renewables Melbourne was chosen to operate the service, which requires a minimum of 225,000 tonnes of municipal waste a year to operate.
All councils involved were required to sign on for 20 years.
Melton, Port Phillip, Melbourne, Yarra and Moonee Valley City Councils have already indicated that they would conditionally support the project.
Maribyrnong and Brimbank City Councils will decide their positions this month.
Wyndham City Council has resolved not to support the project “due to conflicting interests with its own landfill operations”, according to a council report.
The project would directly create 200 jobs in the western region and a further 1500 indirect positions, the report said.
Other environmental benefits would include a reduction in greenhouse emissions of 5.4 tonnes over 20 years, renewable energy created for more than 220,000 households, less litter and reductions in air and groundwater pollution.
Planning and Environment Director Eric Braslis told the council that the three-bin system now in use would remain if the new plant was built. Similar plants already operated in Britain and Europe, and Mayor Carl Marsich recently visited a plant in Sydney, returning with positive reports.
Cr Marsich said signing up to the project was a difficult decision and one of the biggest issues facing the council.
Williamstown Ward Councillor Angela Altair said it was vital the council’s long-term interests were protected but the environmental savings were worthwhile.
“It (the WMRF) is young technology but we’ve got to do something. The council needs to take a leadership role on this,” she said.
However, the council was not unified behind the plan, with councillors Peter Hemphill and Renee Caruana both speaking against the motion.
“I am not convinced that new and better technologies will be adopted,” Cr Hemphill said, arguing that insufficient research had been undertaken.
Cr Hemphill said that the saleability of organic fertiliser produced as a by-product was unproven, and that any support for the project should be highly conditional.
Councillor Caruana said that the 20-year timespan of the project could leave the council with a liability in future years.
“There will be other technologies that will better meet our needs,” she said.
