The community campaign against the Cleanaway Waste to Energy Incinerator proposal for Wollert has gained support of Climate and Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio (MP for Mill Park) and Bronwyn Halfpenny (Thomastown).
A parliamentary petition sponsored by Bronwyn Halfpenny is currently open for signatures.
In a post on Facebook on 4 October Lily D’Ambrosio said:
Over the past few months, we’ve been working with community to understand the way forward on the proposed Waste to Energy incinerator. We’ve listened to the community. It is clear that residents are not supportive of the proposal in Wollert, and we’re with you. The NO Northern Incinerator Wollert community group have organised a Parliamentary petition. Click on the link if you would like to sign it
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/melbourne-energy-and-resource-centre/
A Change Org petition has gathered over 5000 signatures, but it is important to get the numbers on the official parliamentary petition.
Climate Action Merribek raised the alarm about the Wollert Waste to Energy Incinerator consultation through EPA Victoria in February 2024. We followed that with attending a community meeting hearing speakers on the proposal in April and made our own detailed submission to the EPA at the end of April.
The Wollert Waste to Energy proposed plant is one of five Industrial Incinerators proposed for surrounding Melbourne.
The problem is these plants are not part of a circular economy of managing waste. They lock in permanently the need for a waste stream to feed the incinerators. They produce greenhouse gases and other toxic chemicals in air pollution that can affect the health of surrounding residents and contaminate locally gown and backyard food and eggs.. The ash residue is toxic and needs to be disposed of as toxic waste.
See a recent Report from IPEN: Waste Incineration Drives the Triple Planetary Crisis. This report argues Incineration is an outdated, unsustainable method for waste disposal, as burning waste, especially plastics, produces dangerous air emissions and high amounts of toxic ash. IPEN finds that burning waste, especially plastics, produces unsustainable and unmanageable hazardous air emissions and large amounts of highly toxic solid residues (ash), concluding that alternatives to incineration should be implemented globally. Given the challenges faced by the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and toxic pollution, the report finds that waste incineration contributes to all three of these interlinked problems. (IPEN) Note: Victorian state government is planning 5 Waste to Energy incinerators around Melbourne.
Victorian Council Election Candidates pledge
The statewide Stop Burning Plastic pledge not to burn waste was circulated to all Council election candidates across Victoria.
Merri-bek already has a Council policy not to use Waste to Energy Incinerators and to progress to zero waste to landfill by 2030. (see section 4.6.3 of Council Waste and Litter Strategy 2018) . Cleanaway is presently proceeding with an EPA Victoria development licence for a Waste to Energy Incinerator at Wollert. Merribek Council candidates signing this pledge in Merri-bek in effect are continuing the present Council policy direction regarding sustainable circular economy waste management.
It should be noted that the Minister for Climate Action and Energy Lily D’Ambrosio (Mill Park), Thomastown MP Bronwyn Halfpenny and Yan Yean MP Lauren Kathage have come out publicly to support the community in opposing Cleanaway’s Waste to Energy Incinerator. (Facebook Post) This is the statewide pledge circulated to candidates:
The Pledge
I will not support burning waste. This includes technologies such as Mass Combustion, Gasification, Pyrolysis, or projects called Advanced Recycling or Chemical Recycling. There are safer and more effective solutions for our residual waste and all waste streams.
Merribek candidates sign on.
At least 288 local council candidates have signed the pledge across the state. In Merribek 23 of the 55 candidates signed the pledge.
| Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance) | Bababi Djinanang | I am a current Merri-bek councillor and I am standing for re-election. I moved the motion on Merri-bek council for it to make a submission opposing the proposed incinerator at Wollert. I am also a member of Socialist Alliance. Socialist Alliance is opposed to waste incinerators anywhere. We support 100% renewable energy, NOT more polluting fossil fuel technologies. Our members are also involved in fighting the proposal for a waste incinerator at Lara, in Geelong. |
| Lance Sinclair (Greens) | Bababi Djinanang | |
| Metin Golbasi (Greens) | Box Forest | |
| Lewis Moore (Victorian Socialists) | Box Forest | |
| Lambros Tapinos (ALP) | Brunswick West | |
| Anneke Demanuele (Victorian Socialists) | Brunswick west | |
| Ella Svensson (Greens) | Brunswick West | |
| Helen Breier (ALP) | Bulleke-bek | Couldnt agree more- as once a green business angel (private equity) this technology was always a greenwash |
| Jay Iwasaki (Greens) | Bulleke-bek | In Australia, waste incineration is simply not the best option at this point. Incinerators are expensive and require long term committments which create perverse incentives, increasing demand for fuel (waste) to maintain public investment. This also comes at the expense of recycling, material reductions, and competition with renewable energy. |
| Owen Miller (Fusion) | Bulleke-bek | It makes sense not to lock ourselves into a long-term plan for continuing to produce waste. |
| Mel Yuan (Independent) | Bulleke-bek | |
| Helen Politis (ALP) | Harmony Park | |
| Angelica Panopoulos (Greens) | Harmony Park | |
| Emma Dook (Victorian Socialists) | Pascoe Vale South | |
| Corey Perkins (ALP) | Pascoe Vale South | |
| Jacob Andrewartha (Socialist Alliance) | Pentridge | Socialist Alliance is opposed to any attempts by corporations and business to impose waste incinerators in outer suburban areas that negatively impact on the well-being and the natural environment. We believe that investment should be directed towards safer solutions that don’t impede on the rights of residents. We stand with residents across different localities of Melbourne opposing the development of waste incinerators. |
| Kenna Morrison (Greens) | Pentridge | |
| Nat Abboud (Independent) | Pentridge | This is not a new position for me. I will continue not to support burning waste as I have always done. |
| Felix Dance (Socialist Alliance) | Randazzo | No waste incinerator in the northern suburbs! |
| Liz Irvin (Greens) | Randazzo | |
| Adam Pulford (Greens) | Warrk-Warrk Ward | |
| Emma Burrows (Independent) | Westbreen | |
| Chloe Holmes (Greens) | Westbreen |
Action:
Sign the parliamentary petition on Melbourne Energy and Resource Centre. https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/melbourne-energy-and-resource-centre/
References:
Lily D’Ambrosio, Facebook, 4 October 2024 https://www.facebook.com/bronwyn.halfpenny/posts/pfbid06A8RPJao98M5tP7RqqcGfCGaD3HqbmpiQRx7UjEHAm5g6ZmgpvgeF1hMeHVUZ4Acl
IPEN, 3 September 2024, Waste Incineration Drives the Triple Planetary Crisis https://ipen.org/documents/waste-incineration-and-environment
See Stop Burning Plastic website with Candidate pledge, https://sites.google.com/view/stopburningwaste/home
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