Above: Allawuna Farm, near York. Bottom right: Sita Australia wants to create a dumping ground for Perth’s waste.
Camera IconAbove: Allawuna Farm, near York. Bottom right: Sita Australia wants to create a dumping ground for Perth’s waste. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Waste plan scaled back

Lynn GriersonHills Avon Valley Gazette

However, the changes are superficial, according to Avon Valley Residents Association (AVRA) chairman Keith Schekkerman.

The $46 million project has faced fierce opposition from residents worried about water and land contamination for years.

Sita State general manager Nial Stock said consultants had worked with a project team on studies about the project, including geology and hydrology. Plans for the project were dumped last April by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) of the Wheatbelt Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP).

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Mr Stock said the redesign would reduce the landfill footprint by 31 per cent, the volume of waste received by 46 per cent and there would be no risk to drinking water.

"As a result, it is forecast that the operation of the facility will change from about 37 to 20 years," he said.

Mr Schekkerman said as far as the AVRA was concerned, the reduction in proposed size was irrelevant to design because, in due course, the plan would be amended to facilitate continuing dumping of metro waste.

"Sita's statement ignores the hydrological issues as well as the 12 road train movements per hour along the York road to and from Perth," he said.

Mr Schekkerman asked why Sita had asked the Department of Environment to reconsider the project if it did not have land approval for landfill.

Sita wants to transport up to 250,000 tonnes of waste a year from Perth to Allawuna farm, about 18km west of York.

Mr Stock said the proposal was subject to a robust environmental and planning approval process.

"The regulatory processes include review and feedback and Sita has worked within these processes to further refine the design," he said.

"Landfilling plays a necessary role in managing waste and facilities such as the Allawuna proposal are sophisticated, highly engineered and designed to meet strict environmental standards."

He said the proposed facility would account for less than 5 per cent of the 16ha property, which would remain a working farm.