Moss Vale Plastics Recycling Facility

Moss Vale, and the Highlands in general, is a lifestyle hub where people come for peace and quiet and to enjoy the natural surroundings. My parents have moved here recently and love it. Moss Vale – especially a location so close to town – is not the right spot for a massive 24/7 plastic processing facility. We already have issues in Moss Vale with trucks choking the centre of town, and the proposed Suttor Rd bypass (near where my parents live) will simply shift this problem elsewhere, while it is also years if not decades away. We need to keep trucks out of our town, not perpetuate them. Additionally, what damage will this do to the water and air quality in the surrounding area, not to mention social impacts on community cohesion, local services and culture. Surely there is another appropriate spot for a facility like this, that minimises impact to a thriving local community, minimises impact to the environment and minimises impact to traffic and infrastructure challenges that already plague the town.

I am concerned that there has not been sufficient planning to manage the trucks/extra traffic that will come through our town.

I am concerned that there has not been sufficient planning for the environmental impact on surrounding environment and land.

I am concerned that there has not been sufficient planning re noise and air pollution

I am concerned as the owner has previous environmental fractions due to past behaviours in past organisations.

I am concerned that it will impact the value of my house.

I am concerned as my daughter attentions a nearby day care centre. How will noise and pollution affect her?

ACCESS AND SITE.
• Beaconsfield Road is not suitable for heavy vehicles.
• The factory is proposed to be located within 200 metres from residential dwellings off Beaconsfield Road.
• Site is not 3 kms north of Moss Vale (as stated by the applicant Plasrefine) but within the town boundary.
• Lack of infrastructure in place.

TRAFFIC, NOISE, VIBRATIONS
• Disturbance to residents will be high because of constant heavy vehicle truck movements on local roads and proposed 24-hour, 7 day a week operation of the plastic waste factory as per EIS, with capacity to process up to 120,000 tonnes of plastic waste per annum.
• Proposal is for 24-hour operation, 7 days per week for 44 weeks per year and 8 weeks for maintenance.
• Proposed site is only metres from Australian Bio Resources (the Garvan Institute).
• Proposed site is 150 metres from closest resident.

SAFETY
• Narrow access along Beaconsfield Road with no Pedestrian access.
• Residents need to walk on the road as there are currently no footpaths along Beaconsfield and Lytton Roads.
• Childcare Centre on Beaconsfield Road and within the vicinity of 2 x schools (Moss Vale and St Paul’s Primary Schools. Children will be affected as they walk to and from school.
• Deterioration of local roads due will increase therefore Council / ratepayers become responsible for upgrade and ongoing costs.

WATER AND AIR QUALITY
• Planned operations risk significant contamination of air and water quality, with the proposed site involving plastic waste haulage stockpiling and processing within the Sydney drinking water catchment.
• Fire risks and resultant toxic smoke effects on health are unknown.
• The company is proposing to use 46,300 L of water every day to wash plastic waste sourced from a combination of rainwater harvesting and potable town water. Moss Vale’s water storage only has 150, 000L of water in storage (3 days’ supply).
• The company is proposing to pump 16,300 litres of contaminated water a day into our already overloaded sewage system.

I oppose the Moss Vale Plastics Recycling Facility (SUB-39495464) for the following reasons.
1. Whilst I support the need for plastic recycling, I submit that this proposal is in the wrong location. The proposed location is
less than three kilometres from the Moss Vale town centre. This proximity to Moss Vale will very likely have a significant negative impact on air and water quality.
2. The number of heavy vehicle movements proposed will have a significant negative impact on noise levels in the surrounding area.
3. Truck movements are likely to significantly impact on residential areas through which they are to transit due to noise, dust, plastic pollution, odours and pedestrian safety.
4. The production and inadvertant dispersal of plastic nanoparticles is likely to have a significant negative impact on biodiversity in marine and terrestrial environments.
5. I understand that the proponent has not produced a social and economic impact assessment statement.
6. The proposed site appears to be within the catchment of the Wingecarribee River and it may be forseen that pollution from the proposed factory will have a negative impact on water quality in the Wingecarribee River and its catchment, particularly during flood events which have been predicted and now demonstrated to occur at greater levels and more frequently due to human induced climate change.
7. Truck movements will impact on several schools in the area and will decrease safety for child pedestrians going to and returning from school.

This project is in the wrong location and should be resited to a location well away from towns and villages in the southern highlands.

I am writing this submission to object to the construction and operation of the plastics recycling facility (Plasrefine) which is proposed to be located on 74-76 Beaconsfield Rd, Moss Vale NSW 2577 SD-9409987.

The construction and operation of this plastic recycling facility will be to the detriment of the Moss Vale community. I, like many others are in support of New South Wales having a plastic recycling facility however this is not the right site for such a facility.

It concerns me greatly to think about the risk of contamination and pollution to the two waterways which run across the proposed site not to mention the air pollution from the processing of plastic material. During times of drought, where rainwater will not be available to Plasrefine, Plasrefine will ultimately consume local portable water which will greatly impact the local residents.

The increase in traffic on roads due to the additional 50 trucks per day will not only further damage Moss Vale roads but will add to the congestion that is experienced by local residents especially during peak hour traffic. How will Plasrefine ensure that the trucks, which will be sub-contractors, use the prescribed roads as outlined in the EIS? What will happen if the sub-contractors do not use the prescribed roads and who will hold them accountable? The constant flow of trucks to and from the site will also mean that residents will be impacted by the noise generated from the trucks, especially in scenarios where trucks may wait on site or on the road to enter and exit Plasrefine.

Lastly, the EIS does not have detailed architectural drawings or diagrams of the proposed buildings. These buildings will have a visual impact on its residential and rural neighbours. The EIS states that their will be landscaping however no detail is provided as to what this will look like. If the buildings proposed will be 18 meters in height, will the proposed landscaping be able to counteract this?

I do not have confidence that this facility will not negatively impact the environment and the local residents of Moss Vale.

GHD Technical Report 7 : Landscape and Visual
10. Conclusion.
"The visual impact of the proposal would be high for the surrounding sensitive receivers, and it is anticipated that the ongoing changes through the re-development of rural land would result in long-term and adverse impacts to the landscape character of LCZ1 and the surrounding sensitive receivers, with significant and irreversible, changes to the attributes, elements and value of the rural landscape character"

If nothing else is considered, the visual impact even with mitigation, this alone should be reasons for refusal.

I am making a submission in opposition to the above-mentioned State Significant Development by Plasrefine Recycling Pty Ltd.
Whilst in principle and practice, I support the recycling of plastics and the need for responsible management of Australian plastic waste, I believe however, the impacts and constraints associated with this site and the proposal itself are incompatible.
For the reasons outlined in the attached document the proposal provides no real benefit to the local community and as such should be refused.

My Submission No. 2 based on limitation of details of concern on my first Submission.
After reading the EIS there are concerns relating to what the Proposal has assumed in relation to existing road network infrastructure, coinciding developments within the Moss Vale local area, traffic volumes and road capacity of the Illawarra Highway, Main Road 260 Moss Vale Road and the interconnecting Regional Roads (Medway Road, Berrima Road and the Old Hume Highway linking to Taylor Avenue). Local climatic conditions need to be taken into account, also as prevailing wind direction is indicated but the area is subject predominantly to rainfall coming from the north & northwest & the local area is fog prone during much of the year, particularly in Autumn & Winter. The weather conditions are an integral factor when looking at airborne pollutants such as Microplastics emissions from the facility.
Transport links during the construction phase and operation - There is a presumption that all construction haulage to and from site will use Beaconsfield, Lytton and Berrima Road or Lackey Road, Collins Road, Douglas Road and then Berrima Road through New Berrima and the north south link (Old Hume Highway) or East West Link, Medway Road to connect to the Hume Highway. Contractors are hauling through Argyle Street (Main Street) of Moss Vale which in effect is the Illawarra Highway at present & will not necessarily come from the Illawarra Region & locally, via the Hume Highway. At present Gravel suppliers & Asphalt suppliers who use Rigid Trucks with Dog Trailers can negotiate Macquarie Pass as it is more direct & though slower on the Pass, would be quicker to travel to the Proposal Site then via Picton Road & the Hume Highway. There is currently over 17,000 AADT in the main street of Moss Vale with over 11% Heavy Vehicle traffic coupled with Berrima Buslines the local bus company using the road constantly. Traffic gridlocks in morning & afternoon peaks. The proposed Northern Bypass will not alleviate traffic issues in town as North South traffic flow runs from Bowral & beyond to locations in town and to the south including the villages and areas on the Hume Highway to the south. There is considerable traffic on Berrima Road but that is not traffic that would normally be travelling back and forward to Bowral and other localities north of Moss Vale. There is over 5,000 AADT on the Illawarra Highway east of Moss Vale at Sheepwash Road Intersection much of which moves through Moss Vale in the East West direction & with over 8,000 AADT out at Sutton Forest West of Moss Vale the east west traffic flow can only travel through town, so there is no adequate east west link and with the Ashbourne Development starting, up to an additional 1,500 Residential Lots it will be likely that there could be as many as 2,000 to 3,000 extra vehicles on the local road network and there is no planning for additional bypasses to the south or west of town to connect the Northern Bypass & provide a complete alternative route away from the centre of Moss Vale. The implication here is that there are presumptions about construction & operation that everything is coming in from Douglas & Lackey Roads, but no way of enforcing which trucking routes are used. Of all connecting roads to the proposal site only Douglas Road is of appropriate standard & pavement condition to carry heavy vehicle traffic. Council are provided with funding on their Regional Roads & although it is a small block grant annually the condition of Berrima Road & specifically Taylor Avenue in New Berrima are in an appalling condition even prior to the recent La Nina period of increased rainfall over eastern NSW. There is visible proof even on Google Streetview of the condition of these roads & as Medway Road links to the Hume Highway it is a critical link that requires major pavement rehabilitation. This has not been forthcoming to date and will be further exacerbated by the increased levels of heavy vehicle haulage to the SHIP in coming years.
The intent to have heavy vehicle deliveries to the facility when in operation from the Hume Highway linking via the Old Hume Highway exit at Mereworth Road and then turning onto Berrima Road at the roundabout west of New Berrima is questionable for all deliveries coming from Canberra & the South. Any heavy vehicles coming from that direction are likely to turn at the Hume and Illawarra Highway Interchange at Hoddle's Crossroads & enter Moss Vale via Sutton Forest as this is a quicker and more direct route on vastly better road pavement which means trucks will come into Argyle Street then turn left into Lackey Road & enter from the South as it is all heavy vehicle haulage routes. There is no indication why Plastic Waste is not being sourced locally and if and when this comes online trucks will use the local network including Lytton and Lackey Roads, or Innes Road as well as Berrima Road which means travel through residential streets.
Council are currently looking at their Master Plan for the Southern Highlands Innovation Park (SHIP). There is a presumption by the Proponent that it is not going to change or be amended but there has not been an adequate level of consultation with the local community about the impacts on Northern Moss Vale or how industry and innovation will be secured. Noting, the loss of the Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Facility on the northern side of Douglas Road now off the table & not helped by the current State Government's decision to NOT provide commitment of business to that Proponent. This had real potential for job creation & provide a high profile clean industry. It is unclear how this Industrial Zone will progress & why the area needed to be 1100 Hectares, bordering Rural & Residential Zones without adequate buffer to minimise the Visual Impacts.
Irrespective of how Visual Impacts are dealt with in the EIS, the sheer size & design of the Facility will directly impact on the 13 Properties that have been identified within the impacted Noise Zone during construction, so they will have the ongoing Visual Impact of their outlooks changed forever. The building height of the Facility has been stated as a maximum 18m in height with Building 1, being 4 m lower than Building 2 at Floor RL. but Building 1 has its northwestern corner sitting approximately 4m above existing ground level of 668m as per the Terrain Level Image on Near Maps presentation in the EIS & this will make the Building look even more imposing from the North & West. The Australian BioResources Facility Buildings are generally 8 to 9 metres in height and sit nicely tucked into the landscape but will be overshadowed but the enormity of the Proposal Buildings with a loss of visual amenity as well.
The decisions of the former Shire Council to create an area for Innovation & Industry is understandable but there has not been due consideration on why the IN1 Zone and other zones south of the Private Rail Line to Boral Cement Works is justified given the terrain & lack of access to what was rural land that provided a suitable buffer to the expanding residential area south of Bulwer Road.
As stated previously Moss Vale town area that lies to the south and east of the Proposal Site much of which is less than 1km away including the Southern Highlands Early Childhood Learning Centre in Beaconsfield Road are likely to be affected by Airborne Pollutants specifically Microfibres from the Facility as prevailing winds from the Northwest and West have the highest velocities which will carry emissions over town & beyond, affecting much of Moss Vale & parts of Burradoo to the Wingecarribee River. If emissions are also capable of being blown they are also capable of being attached to water droplets in the form of Fog and Rainfall then will fall to ground & be deposited beyond the Facility & the adjoining properties. The prevailing direction for much of the rainfall locally is Northeast to Northwest & this could result with emissions being pushed back over much of Moss Vale & falling when attached to water droplets on the town area where I live as was seen with the Ash deposition during the Bushfires. Rainfall locally can be light and misty or drizzle, therefore airborne contaminants are more likely to fall far beyond what would be expected with heavy rain. The proposal does not clearly deal with waste sludge and airborne particulate matter to provide adequate assurances that this will not impact the local community & locations elsewhere in the Southern Highlands. If Sludge from the facility is taken offsite it would be not improbable that it could end up in the Bowral Waste facility at the old Bowral Brickworks Pit west of the Southern Railway Line in Bowral which has become a dumping ground for Sydney Putrescible Waste (offensive odours complaints), that is accessible via Moss Vale's Main Street & the Moss Vale Road (MR260) that connects Moss Vale to Bowral.
The argument that sites were looked at in Sydney & in the Greater Metropolitan Area does suggest that no consideration was given to finding locations further afield close to road and rail links that were not right next to a growing residential urban area like Moss Vale that now has to contend with historically poor planning by Council & lack of infrastructure with no foreseeable resolution to the traffic congestion, and an expansion of potentially hazardous waste processing on the edge of town to add to this.
Job creation may or may not emanate from this facility and it is believed that no one locally has the experience or capability to be employed at Plasrefine without considerable training & skills acquisition. Is this a guarantee of employment or will it come from other areas which means job creation is not necessarily assured for local people seeking employment. The concept of Plastic Waste recycling is commendable but this is not the Right Place for the development & the risks are greater than perceived in the Proposal.

I would like to object to the establishment of a plastic recycling facility being located in the heart of Moss Vale.

I'm well aware of and have researched the effects of plastics on the human body, each and every day making choices that mean that I'm minimally exposed to harmful plastics.

The idea that such a facility is being tabled so close to a community - a daycare centre 700m away, no less, and residential density increasing exponentially this past few years with only more residents on the way is frightening given the potential dangers to human health of such a facility, no matter how well managed.

By building such a facility so close to a densely populated area you are taking away the choice of residents and their families to control their exposure to harmful plastics.
The endocrine disruptive properties of plastics are well known and documented in the scientific literature, and this disruption can occur via the air as well as via microplastic dust ingestion/respiration.

Such a facility should be much more remotely located to avoid danger to the community and I implore you to stop this planning proposal dead in its tracks for your safety and that of the people of the Southern Highlands, many of whom are my family members, including nephews, and children, specifically boys are affected by endocrine disruptive plastic components such as phthalates, to name one group of particularly harmful chemicals found in a wide range of plastics known to disrupt sperm production (2 such study examples and findings: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27546318/.... and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18570050/ ). And many on microplastic effect on male fertility also https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33804513/

The only choice for residents to avoid these effects will be to move away, which will have a detrimental effect on the town and region. It will prove the area to be a less than desirable place to live, to visit and to raise families and run businesses. I grew up in the Southern Highlands and still have family who live and work in Moss Vale, and the town and region have come a long way in their development. Please don't destroy this growth by placing a toxic facility alongside daycare centres, schools, businesses and homes.

Thank you. Please consider moving the plastics recycling facility far away from populated areas....of which there are plenty.

My son lives in Moss Vale, and he recently told me about the proposed plastic recycling development which he, as part of the Moss Vale Matters community group, is objecting to. On my frequent visits I have fallen in love with the area for its beauty, tranquility and the friendliness of the locals. I have read the Moss Vale Matters comprehensive objections to the project and I fully endorse them, and would like to add my name to the list of concerned Residents.

The site is totally inappropriate for this type of facility for the reasons listed:

Access is via a narrow residential road, Beaconsfield Road, that is unsuited to heavy vehicles and a large volume of light vehicles. This road (Beaconsfield Road) is used by children walking home from school, children and adults walking to and from bus stops, for recreational purposes such as exercising of dogs and horses with children and adults riding their horses on this road (this has occurred for many decades on this road and within the area). Beaconsfield Road has no pedestrian access or room for such access, residents walk on the roads safely in the areas of Beaconsfield, Lytton, Bulwer Roads and surrounds.
An increase in traffic will impact the access to Bulwer Road from Beaconsfield Road where the current intersection already has limited vision that already is a concern for myself and would become dangerous (if not impossible) to exit Bulwer with a huge projected increase in traffic. The western end of Bulwer Road is a single lane road and thus not suited to an increase in traffic numbers to be used as an alternative exit point for residents and would incur a great cost to the Council to upgrade this road.
Another safety aspect is a Childcare Centre and Primary School are located on Beaconsfield Road where children walk home on the surrounding streets, an increase in traffic volumes would make this very unsafe without significant infrastructure upgrades.

Moss Vale Town centre already suffers from stop/start traffic at peak times in the morning/lunch/evening times. By using the local Roads for heavy vehicles (stated to be coming from Sydney, Melbourne and Wollongong directions, thus having to use Argyle Street) and light traffic will further increase an already congested road network in the area and main thoroughfare of the Town centre; GHD has stated there has been no agreement with Council about Road access and as such a dedicated road corridor for this facility.

The proposal fails to provide an acceptable buffering zone to residential areas for a facility of this size which is grossly overdeveloped in size for this area. The facility will impact on neighbouring properties with regard to noise, vibration, pollution, asethics and thus a visual intrusion due to the massive scale of the Plasrefine development.
The proposed facility is planned to run 24/7 whereby noise, vibration and pollution will have an impact on neighbouring properties including residents 150m away, Primary producers and rural industries (nearby feedlot, livestock breeders and livestock sales-yards) and The Australian Bio Institute which is a leading Worldwide research facility.

The proposal will devalue neighbouring residential homes and land, many of which have either been in families for generations or purchased for the lifestyle which will be heavily impacted if not destroyed by this facility causing negative (possibly catastrophic) impacts financially and to people’s mental health. I know it will personally destroy the lifestyle we have and devalue our property that we sold two houses to buy into this area, and potenially preventing us from fulfilling our lifestyle and family planning goals. Devalued properties would be difficult to sell or, sold for lesser values that would prevent moving to a similar lifestyle residence.

There is a distinct lack of infrastructure such as sewer and drainage (and road infrastructure as mentioned) to support a project of this size. The proposal will use a huge amount of the Shire’s drinking water (located in the Sydney Water catchment) and waste would be pumped into the poor sewerage infrastructure in the area.

A facility of this type has the potential to emit toxic residue in water and air emissions, produce plastic sludge as waste (to be dumped where?), and produce potentially explosive emissions with little regard to how this will impact nearby residents property and wellbeing.

Many essential 'impact' details are missing throughout the report, numerous times GHD has stated in the report that they ‘do not accept liability’ for unverified information and that ‘site conditions may or may not change after the date of the report’; how can this possibly be a true indication of an 'Impact Statement' for which a facility of this size and footprint could use to seek approval.

The proposed site is simply not the right site for a project of this magnitude nor industry!

The attached is a submission by Laurence Frankland, an 8 year old resident of the Southern Highlands. Laurence objects to this proposal.

The attached quote and drawings are a submission by Southern Highlands resident Maeve Frankland,
6 years old. Maeve objects to the proposal.

The site is totally inappropriate for this type of facility for the reasons stated below:
Access is via a narrow residential road, Beaconsfield Road, that is unsuited to heavy vehicles. This road (Beaconsfield Road) is used by children walking home from the locals schools, children walking to and from bus stops, for recreational purposes such as exercising of dogs and horses with children and adults riding their horses on this road (this has occurred for many decades on this road and area). Beaconsfield Road has no pedestrian access or room for such access, residents walk on the roads safely in the area Beaconsfield, Lytton, Bulwer Roads. An increase in traffic will impact the access to Bulwer Road from Beaconsfield Road where the current intersection already has limited vision and would become dangerous to exit Bulwer with a huge projected increase in traffic. The western end of Bulwer Road is a single lane road and thus not suited to an increase in traffic numbers to be used as an alternative exit point for residents and would incur a great cost to the Council to upgrade this road.
Another safety aspect is a Childcare Centre and Primary School are located on Beaconsfield Road where children walk home on the surrounding streets.

By using the local Roads for heavy vehicles (stated to be coming from Sydney, Melbourne and Wollongong directs thus having to use Argyle Street) and light traffic will further increase an already congested road network in the area and main thoroughfare of the Town centre;
GHD has stated there has been no agreement with Council about Road access and as such a road corridor for this facility.

The proposal fails to provide an acceptable buffering zone to residential areas for a facility of this size which is grossly overdeveloped in size for this area. The facility will impact on neighbouring properties with regard to noise, vibration, pollution, asethics and thus a visual intrusion due to the massive scale of the Plasrefine development.
The proposed facility is planned to run 24/7 whereby noise, vibration and pollution will have an impact on neighbouring properties including residents 150m away, Primary producers and rural industries (nearby feedlot, livestock breeders and livestock sales-yards) and The Australian Bio Institute which is a leading Worldwide research facility.

The proposal will devalue neighbouring residential homes and land, many of which have either been in families for generations or purchased for the lifestyle which will be heavily impacted if not destroyed by this facility causing negative (possibly catastrophic) impacts financially and to people’s mental health.

There is a distinct lack of infrastructure such as sewer and drainage (and road infrastructure as mentioned) to support a project of this size. The proposal will use a huge amount of the Shire’s drinking water (located in the Sydney Water catchment) and waste would be pumped into the poor sewerage infrastructure in the area.

A facility of this type has the potential to emit toxic residue in water and air emissions, produce plastic sludge as waste (to be dumped where?), and produce potentially explosive emissions with little regard to how this will impact nearby residents property and wellbeing.

Many essential 'impact' details are missing throughout the report, numerous times GHD has stated in the report that they ‘do not accept liability’ for unverified information and that ‘site conditions may or may not change after the date of the report’; how can this possibly be a true indication of an 'Impact Statement' for which a facility of this size and footprint could use to seek approval.

The proposed site is simply not the right site for a project of this magnitude or industry!

I object to the project on the following grounds: its location, inadequate infrastructure, safety, social and health.

This proposal is not suitable for the pristine area of the southern highlands. Some of the impact this would cause (but not limited to): Increased traffic on local roads unsuitable for the proposed large amount of heavy vehicles, toxic residues, toxins in plastic dust which will be distributed throughout the community of the westerly winds common in the southern highlands, proposing to use 46,300L of water per day to wash plastic waste but the propsal only has 150,000L of water so the rest will come from the local water supply which already is not enough for the future of the southern highlands with all the new developments and proposing to pump 16,300fL of contaminated water a day into our already overloaded sewerage sytem. The 38,638 square metres of buildings, a 6ha complex over 5 storeys IS NOT in keeping with the area.

To whom it may concern,
As an extremely concerned resident of the Southern Highlands and New South Wales I would like to express that I staunchly oppose the Plasrefine proposal.

The company who are charged with ‘marketing’ this project, GHD, constantly change their information and, as a result, my concerns are as follows:

ROAD ACCESS - At the GHD community engagement meetings, attendees were told that Beaconsfield Road is their ‘legal access’ and that it would be used while construction was carried out on the proposed East Braddon Road which would run from Lackey Road up right next to Garvan’s Bio Medical Research Institute. This road is completely unsuitable for heavy traffic, it is an uncurbed road where locals walk and school children are dropped off and picked up by the local buses.

GHD have stated that WSC is actively supporting the use of Beaconsfield Road for construction. Can you please offer some clarity around this statement?

TRUCK MOVEMENTS - 200 per day, one every 3 mins on our local roads regardless of route. Roads that will deteriorate under this heavy traffic volume and presumably be repaired constantly at cost to rate payers. This also leads to the issue of safety as far as other road users, pedestrians, and diesel emissions are concerned.

THE SITE ITSELF AND THE ZONING – The WLEP (Wingecarribee Local Environment Plan) for this zoning (IN1) has among its objectives : ‘to minimise any adverse effect of industry on other land users.’ And ‘to ensure that new development and land uses incorporate measures that take account of their spatial context and mitigate any potential on neighbourhood amenity and character, or the efficient operation of the local or regional road system.’

This facility should be in a Heavy Industrial Zone (IN3) which has these objectives ‘To provide suitable areas for those industries that need to be separated from other land uses.’ And ‘To minimise any adverse effect of heavy industry on other land users’. Permitted with consent in IN3 are ‘Hazardous storage establishments; Heavy Industries; Offensive storage establishments’.

This facility is in the wrong place!

HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS – We have been informed that this facility will produce Volatile Organic Compounds. The health implications of these dangerous gases within the community are too numerous to mention. In addition to this, there will be micro plastics created which are microscopic and, when windblown, will affect agriculture, waterways, grazing animals (and the food they produce), and human bodies.

DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT – in addition to the above-mentioned issues, this is riparian land with spring fed dams and all waterways flow into the Wingecarribee River which is the water catchment for Sydney.

EXISTING DEVELOPMENTS – it would seem unlikely that the Garvan Institute can continue to function as the ONLY facility of its kind remaining in Australia, (and the 7th largest facility of its kind in the world,) alongside this Plasrefine construction. As a Bio Medical Research Institute serving an essential purpose nationwide, should this not be taken into consideration?

GEO POLITICAL- Plasrefine have a number of concerning links with the Peoples Republic of China and with current global events are community and nation should not be associating with rogue nations.

In conclusion, this proposal goes against the wishes of many individuals within the community when considering the support of the project. The proposal if approved will destroy the fabric of the Southern Highlands.

This is not the right site for what has been proposed. It threatens so much of what makes the Southern Highlands what it is. A place where clean water, clean air, green space, safe streets and the quiet draws both residents and tourists. To wedge in Plasrefine so close to the homes and businesses and schools and daycares of Moss Vale is unacceptable. The process undertaken by GHD to present this to the community has only highlighted the sheer number of unknowns and the lack of transparency as to what the impact of this plastics business would be. The damage of allowing Plasrefine on the proposed site would be devastatingly irreversible for generations to come. It’s not the right site. My response to the EIS is attached in PDF format.

I object to the project. I live on Bulwer Rd with my husband and 3 children and a number of pets on a beautiful 5 acre property.
The proposed site is approximately 750 metres from our family home or 10 minutes' walk.
This factory has the potential of impacting significantly on my enjoyment of my family home and family life.
I am concerned about air quality. I do not wish for my family to breathe the air of a massive plastics refinery. My children and I suffer with asthma and allergy and am concerned about the health impacts on my children and I including potential poisons.
I will not be able to ride my bike along Berrima Rd or Lytton Rd and Beaconsfield Rd with my children as I do presently for concern about air quality and road safety due to the increased presence of trucks on our local roads.
The developer has not undertaken a social impact assessment. I believe the proposed project will have a significant negative impact such that I will have to move home.
We will not be able to afford a property of the type we hold elsewhere as we have a very special parcel of land in a beautiful area. Properties of this nature are simply not available for sale. Currently my children are at St Paul's Primary School Moss Vale which is only 1.8 kms away from the proposed site.
My children will have to move schools as I cannot accept them living in such close vicinity to a plastics factory.
I am concerned about the effects on wildlife in nearby waterways including the many ducks around Lytton and Beaconsfield Road and will lose their habitats or be run over by trucks.
The sheer size of the facility is disproportionate to the needs of our community or any benefit. I do not see any benefit to the Moss Vale community. It is an unfair interference with our country life and risks to health and safety to have to put up with a plastics factory or a project of this size. I also understand the zoning does not support heavy industrial.
I do not wish to live near a plastic refinery. I did not buy near a plastics refinery and would not have done so. I do not wish for my views to be obstructed by a factory.
I do not feel that Moss Vale should provide the grounds for such a facility. It is an unreasonable burden on the community. Factories are more appropriately placed in the city away or other place away from residential homes. Increasingly more people are moving from Sydney to Moss Vale and the community cannot be expected to live near a massive plastics factory. The interests of the community are overwhelmingly against it.
Thank you for your consideration of this objection.

See attached letter