Incinerator opponents protest outside EPA office

GEELONG residents and environmental activists have taken their opposition to a waste-to-energy incinerator proposed for the region to the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) doorstep, as they await the organisation’s response to the project.

The protest, held on Wednesday this week, saw members of the local community gather outside the EPA’s office building in North Geelong to demand the agency reject the project.

First stage approval for the facility rests with the EPA, and a decision is expected to be handed down in the coming weeks.

Angela Carr, one of the lead opponents to the waste-to-energy incinerator, said the facility would result in the region becoming a “dumping ground for the state’s waste”.

“We want [the EPA] to understand that the people of Geelong do not want this incinerator in our backyard.”

She said the local community had a raft of concerns about the safety and environmental impacts of the proposed facility.

“We know that research has been done on these incinerators worldwide and they’ve shown that they’re really not safe for the communities that live around these projects.

“We have a high concentration of families living in the Lara and Corio area and we also have, I think, 25 schools within a 5km radius of the proposed site at McManus Road.”

The waste-to-energy incinerator, proposed by Prospect Hill International (PHI) intends to process 400,000 tonnes of waste each year, generating 35 megawatts of electricity.

The facility will process waste designed for landfill, and PHI estimates the electricity generated will be enough to power up to 50,000 homes.

A spokesperson for the EPA said that while the application from PHI was under consideration, they “can’t provide further comment”.

“We appreciate and support the community’s right to voice their opinion which is why we have consulted extensively with them through the application process.”