Parkes Shire Council has appointed community representatives to its Energy-from-Waste (EfW) Community Working Party following a public Expressions of Interest (EOI) process.
The Working Party was established following Council's resolution in February 2026 to formally reject and strongly oppose any proposed Energy-from-Waste facility within Parkes Shire. The advisory group will provide a forum for structured information sharing, identify community concerns and develop informed recommendations to Council regarding the proposed facility.
The Working Party's Terms of Reference were adopted by Council in May 2026, with Expressions of Interest open from 17 June to 1 July 2026.
A total of 15 applications were received from across the community. Following consideration of the applications by the Councillor members of the Working Party, the following community representatives have been appointed:
Neighbouring Landholder: Lachlan Bennie
Local Business and Industry: Samuel Jordan, Tracie Robertson and Chris Williams
Agricultural Stakeholders: Caron Chester, Andrew Rice, Sharon Woods (NSW Farmers) and Maurice Davey
Community Groups: Denise Blakemore (Can Assist) and Kenneth (Ken) Engsmyr (Rotary)
Parkes Shire Mayor Cr Neil Westcott welcomed the appointment of the community representatives and thanked everyone who expressed an interest in participating.
"Council was pleased with the level of community interest shown through the Expressions of Interest process, and I thank everyone who took the time to apply," Cr Westcott said.
"The Working Party brings together representatives from a range of sectors across our community, ensuring a broad range of local perspectives will help inform Council's ongoing advocacy and consideration of matters relating to the proposed Energy-from-Waste facility."
Cr Westcott also acknowledged those community members who submitted Expressions of Interest but were not appointed to the Working Party.
"I would like to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to complete an application. The strong level of interest demonstrated the community's commitment to this issue. While not all applicants could be appointed, Council appreciates their willingness to contribute and welcomes their ongoing involvement in the discussion as this process continues," he said.
Despite extended consultation efforts, no Traditional Owner nominations were received.
"While we were disappointed not to receive an application from a Traditional Owner representative, Council remains committed to engaging respectfully with Traditional Owners and recognising the importance of their perspectives as this matter progresses," he said.
An informal meet and greet of the committee was held on Wednesday, which was attended by guest speaker Dr Peter Tait. Dr Tait was one of the authors of the research paper "The health impacts of waste incineration: a systematic review", which advocates a precautionary approach to EFW. Dr Tait has been a senior member of the Public Health Association (PHA), and he represented the PHA at the recent EFW Parliamentary Inquiry.
The EfW Community Working Party will meet regularly to facilitate information sharing, discuss community issues and provide recommendations to Council in accordance with its adopted Terms of Reference.
Pictured (left to right): Andrew Rice, Maurice Davey, Cr Matthew Scherer, Chris Williams, Tracie Robertson, Mayor Neil Westcott, Dr Peter Tait, Lachlan Bennie, Cr Joy Paddison, Cr Glenn Wilson, Sharon Woods and Caron Chester at the EfW Community Working Party Informal introductory session with Dr Peter Tait, Council Chambers on Wednesday 15th July 2026.
