Parkes Shire Council has supported unanimously a motion by Mayor Neil Westcott to formally object to the proposed Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facility within the Parkes Special Activation Precinct.
"For the removal of any doubt, this means that Parkes Council, in totality, is against the EfW project, we are opposed to it, we will not be supporting it. We are not the determining body, but whatever influence we can bring to bear it will be in the form of absolute rejection," Mayor Neil Westcott said.
Mayor Westcott said the decision reflects the strong community sentiment driven by the absence of government-led engagement on the proposal. Critically, Council's objection will require the NSW Government to refer the planning assessment to the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC).
"Our first duty is to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents, the integrity of our environment, and the reputation of our agricultural sector. When government provides no credible information to demonstrate safety, the community can only conclude that these risks may exist, and that is a failure of leadership," the Mayor said.
The motion was amended during the meeting and can be found in full on Council's website (https://parkes.infocouncil.biz/) and passed unanimously by the Councillors. Each Councillor present had the opportunity to speak about the project during the consideration of the motion.
Federal Member Jamie Chaffey yesterday joined Council and the community in calling for a referral of the project to the IPC and for the proposal to be called in as a State Significant Development.
State Member Phil Donato has issued a previous statement on the proposal; "I will not be supporting this project, and I will continue to stand with the people of Parkes to ensure their voices are heard by the government."
Council's resolution will be communicated to the NSW Premier, the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the NSW Minister for Environment, the Independent Planning Commission, the Local Member and the Parliamentary Inquiry into Energy-from-Waste Facilities.
Chair of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Energy-from-Waste facilities Nichole Overall MLC confirmed yesterday subsequent public hearings will be held in Parkes and Goulburn in April and May this year.
"If it's not good enough for Sydney, then it's not good enough for Parkes," the Mayor said.
Photo: Parkes Shire Mayor Neil Westcott
