Two massive waste facilities proposed for Fyshwick will be referred to the Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Renewal after the ACT Legislative Assembly online petition opposing their location received the requisite 500 signatures.
President of the Fyshwick Business Association, Rob Evans, said Canberrans had overwhelmingly supported the association’s position supporting better resource recovery, but in the right place.
“Canberrans have made their opinion on this matter loud and clear in this time-honoured way of airing a grievance with government.
“We didn’t just reach the requisite number of signatures for a committee referral, we smashed it – we’ve had over 1,000 signatures in the past 24 hours and the support is still coming in. If that doesn’t make the Assembly sit up and take notice, I don’t know what will.
“We look forward to a sensible, forensic examination of the issues by the Committee and expect that no development application or decision will be made prior to the Committee completing its deliberations.”
Mr Evans said the Association was very supportive of re-use and recycling, with a number of smaller waste recovery and recycling businesses already located in Fyshwick.
“The problem with these new proposals is their scale, the number of monster trucks and the type of waste they will bring to our streets, and critically how close they are to waterways flowing into the Jerrabomberra Wetlands and Lake Burley Griffin – less than 500 metres. The potential impacts are catastrophic and just too high a price to pay.
“The volume of waste being processed across the two sites is 1.4 million tonnes a year; that’s 40 percent more than the ACT’s total waste accepted at Mugga Lane – it’ll be like Mugga Lane on steroids – and that waste includes toxic leachate and asbestos.
“It is evident from the overwhelming response to the petition that once Canberrans understand these are not just the benign recycling facilities the marketing spin describes, they share our concerns.
“What we are saying to government is follow your own IZ2 precinct code and preserve and promote viable industries that can coexist with more commercially oriented uses. High volume waste processing is not compatible with nearby waterways and internationally significant wetlands, nor with the majority of businesses in Fyshwick, including other industry, but it’s the right thing to be co-locating at the ACT’s already established resource recovery estate at Hume,” Mr Evans said.
The petition will remain open until 31 October. The petition is available at: https://epetitions.act.gov.au/CurrentEPetition.aspx?PetId=144&lIndex=-1