The community of Melbourne’s North is called to support the Wollert/Donnybrook/Epping community in its opposition to Cleanaway’s Wollert Incineration Proposal. This is a crucial issue for us as it is a social justice and environmental issue with huge negative impact on climate adaptation for our newer, more ethnically diverse northern suburbs.

Peter Khalil MP for Wills has echoed the significant concerns of the community about Cleanaway’s Proposal. In line with other MP’s, Khalil has written to the State Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny MP on August 22nd expressing a whole range of concerns of the community of Melbourne’s North about the incinerator proposal. 

‘The waste-to-energy incinerator, put forward by Cleanaway Operations Pty Ltd, has generated significant opposition in our community, with a number of residents in Wills worried about the risks it poses to health, the environment, and with the approval process for the project. I hold concerns regarding the incinerator’s possible effects on Merri Creek waterway, which runs along the eastern border of the electorate of Wills. ‘ 

The EPA will announce its decision on the Wollert incinerator development license this weekend. This is a turning point for our community, and we need to be ready.  Do join with the communities of Melbourne’s North this Sunday.

Community Meeting
No Northern Incinerator and Residents of Epping North and Wollert
Sunday 31 August  1pm-2.30pm
Whittlesea Council, 25 Ferres Bvd South Morang
Facebook event here

There will also be Screening of Burning Injustice,  powerful short documentary on how Californian communities fought against waste incinerators.

This meeting is not just about information – it’s about action, solidarity, and protecting our community.

Just last week communities of Melbourne’s north were sickened by Cleanaway’s announcement that Recycle Victoria had allocated it a cap of 760,000 tonnes of mixed rubbish to burn each year. This is twice the amount of the original proposal in Wollert and was part of an additional cap allocation across the state of 2.35 million cap of tonnes of rubbish.  This allocation has created uncertainty across the state, as it is not know where this cap is intended to be used.

 The Government’s website states ‘The cap licences generally do not specify a precise location for the proposed facility. The proposed location is considered and confirmed through EPA and planning approvals processes.’

 In Wollert, Epping, Donnybrook and Craigieburn the possibility of huge incinerators burning this volume of mixed demolition industrial and residential waste, in areas where there are so many schools homes and businesses within 5km will cause people to be hesitant to invest in housing or other services.

As just one example, 75% of people in Donnybrook, (less than 5km from the proposed incinerator) prioritize Parks/playgrounds as the most important aspect of their community. This is not compatible with a 60-meter smoke stack and a permanent plume emitting from it, between Donnybrook and the city. On top of this toxic, smelly industrial plant add the effects of climate change on the community – hotter days in summer and more severe weather events. 

We can still object to this proposal’s planning permit till (at least) September 9^th. We have just been informed by the planning Department that Planning Objections can be emailed at least till September the 9^th.  We have made it easy by producing a template which you just need to paste in an email and edit.

If you would like to join the No Northern Incinerator Wollert Campaign, and you can’t make it on Sunday August 31,  just fill in this form and we will contact you.

References

• Victorian Waste to Energy Scheme licences
• No Northern Incinerator Facebook Page
• Donnybrook: We want to get your input at a local level

This post was written by CAM activists involved in the No Incinerator campaign.