Moss Vale Plastics Recycling Facility

The Plasrefine proposal has been independently identified by both community and EPA as presenting threats to Health, Safety and the Environmental (HSE) to our community.

It's 2023 for goodness sake. This project must not be built in an ecologically significant location. Moss Vale does not want this horrendous and polluting facility built in such close proximity.

The plastics recycling plant is completely inappropriate for its proposed location. It is next to farms and residential areas on a flood prone creek bed.
Moss Vale, and the Southern Highlands depend on agriculture and tourism. The presence of the plant is detrimental to both.
This plant should be located in an established industrial estate, where transport, power and sewerage required are already available.
I understand the water usage and discharge will be substantial, and will likely overwhelm local facilities. The regional roads will not be able to deal with the large increase in truck traffic.
Simply, to put such a plant on this land is totally insensitive to the local environment in every way.

Plasterine have to realise by now that this is not the right area for such a factory. I live close be to the area that this factory would be built and feel that my health and the health of my family will be at risk. People in the highlands have enough trouble get around to already crowded streets and we really don’t need any further traffic adding to the situation. The local streets just can’t cope. I really believe that this project should not proceed.

This development will allow fumes and pollution to be spread over pristine farming areas and delightful country towns. I know the developers insist that all emissions are trapped but experience with other projects proves otherwise. The Chinese owners will insist that these poor nonpolluting facilities will be maintained but they wont. They are in China, why would they care. Look at the pollution in China right now. The Wingecarribee council has a proven record of incompetence and bankruptcy. They will not be able to effectively monitor the abuse of the plant.
There will be hundreds of trucks per week coming and going and the so called road improvements are inadequate and futile.There is currently permission for 1500 dwellings to be built in Moss Vale and a futher 1500 to be built in Bowral. All with no road upgrades. Please rethink about the consequences of all this development.
Why should a Chinese profiteer be allowed to degenerate a delightful part of the country.
I beg you do not allow this polluting project

After submitting my objections on the initial planning statement by plasterfine. I again write to show my significant objection to the proposal.

Firstly and one of my largest concerns remains fire risk. Plastic recycling is hazardous and as shown all over the world has a high likelihood of fire occurring. When it does it give of toxic fumes that are very very dangerous to all. We do not have a Hazmat fire and rescue team in the southern highlands so a response would have at least a forty minute delay. Meanwhile the site which is in close proximity to early learning centres and schools would be pushing toxic fumes on to some of our most vulnerable. The new submission brushes over this risk

GHD. Who have put together the proposal take no responsibility for what they have written. Regularly using words like “it is our understanding” and it’s the owners intent. This is simply not reassurance to the local community

The owner still has little to no experience in plastic recycling. And will be shipping all profits over seas.

There is little information on how they will truly prevent micro plastics from getting into the air with close proximity of residence. And In to Sydney’s drinking water catchment.

Even with the new roads there is a significant amount of heavy freight movements added to the shire

There is no reference to how they will remove the toxic sludge by product of the process.


There is a significant amount of local industry. Tourism. Wine growing. Research centers to name a few that all rely on clean air. A plastics recycling on the edge of a town does not give this.

The new plan brushes over the need for it to be classified as a hazardous industry which is obviously ridiculous.

The social impact delivered by GHD was joke with small windows of time to contribute. They outright lied about engagement with council and politicians even with one of them in the room. And showed a total disregard for residence health and concerns

The local member of parliament offered to find a more suitable site which was ignored.


The southern highland is a place for tourism and agriculture. Not heavy polluting industries please stop this terrible proposal from going ahead with no support from residents. Council or parliament.

I am making a submission to object to the above-mentioned State Significant Development by Plasrefine Recycling Pty Ltd.

I have a dear friend who moved to Lytton Road Moss Vale some years ago whom I visit regularly. She owns a dog so we often walk around the neighbourhood and I have noted a number of young families and school aged children live near the site of this proposed facility.

I understand the facility will be operating 24/7 and as such there will be a significant increase in heavy vehicle traffic (whilst in operation and when it is under construction) thereby increasing the likelihood of a serious traffic incident. Locals will also experience negative impacts on their general quality of life from noise, dust and light pollution. The proposed site is way too close to an existing residential area.

Whilst I applaud the recycling industry, I note there is some evidence that recycling plants have the potential to release micro-plastics into the environment. (1) These microplastics can seriously impact the health and wellbeing of the waterways and the humans and animals living nearby.

More frightening is a recent report from Greenpeace (2) highlighting that recycling is not a safe or effective way to end plastic pollution.

“Recycled plastics often contain higher levels of chemicals that can poison people and contaminate communities, including toxic flame retardants, benzene and other carcinogens, environmental pollutants like brominated and chlorinated dioxins, and numerous endocrine disruptors that can cause changes to the body’s natural hormone levels.”

My friend, the residents of Moss Vale, the plant workers and the local wildlife would be in close contact to toxins which could result in catastrophic health outcomes and environmental damage for the whole community!

(1) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772416623000803?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=81b82952ad22aad5

(2) Greenpeace USA https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/new-greenpeace-report-calls-out-toxic-hazards-of-recycled-plastic-as-global-plastics-treaty-negotiations-resume-in-paris/#:~:text=Recycled%20plastics%20often%20contain%20higher,changes%20to%20the%20body's%20natural

I am making a submission in opposition to the above mentioned State Significant Development by Plasrefine Recycling Pty Ltd. I am a resident of Moss Vale and I am extremely concerned about the proposed Plastic Recycling Facility at 74-76 Beaconsfield Rd, Moss Vale for an abundance of reasons. I hold grave concerns for the health of both the environment and my family, friends and neighbours as a result of the toxic pollution that will inevitably make its way into our broader community. The farming heritage of the area is at extreme risk as a result of this poorly planned and negligent development proposal. The lifestyle I love and that of my family is at great risk. This keeps me up at night, as I hold the importance of our health and wellbeing very highly.

Furthermore, my children attend local schools which are directly impacted by Plasrefine's proposed heavy haulage routes. I cannot in all good conscience sit back and say nothing. To suggest it is satisfactory to allow many trucks to pass through an extremely narrow residential street with unpredictable children near the road in high numbers beggars belief. The rejection of this proposal is essential to ensuring the safety if our children. The alternative us unfathomable and it would be a case of when, not if, a child is critically injured or killed with such heavy traffic frequenting these streets. Plasrefine has no regard for the community's most vulnerable, and this is utterly disgusting. The government cannot support such negligence and blatant disregard for our community.

Furthermore, the proposed site is on ecologically sensitive land. Pollutants emitted from the proposed site would directly affect not only the Southern Highlands, but greater Sydney through the Wingecarribee River's flow into Sydney's water catchment.

Fire is another very real concern. Moss Vale, and the Southern Highlands in general, isn't sufficiently resourced in fire fighting capacity to adequately deal with a highly likely fire at a plastics recycling facility. The toxic smoke that would be emitted is potentially fatal to many, many people. Plasrefine, and the government by association, would have blood on their hands, should this development proceed.

I simply do not understand how this abomination of a proposal is being considered. It has no positive attributes. Not one resident/family member/friend that I have spoken to about this proposal is in favour of it. Please, please, please, see reason on this issue and do not allow it to proceed. The future of our environment and generations to come is dependent on your vigilance and leadership on this issue.

Please find the attached letter that I am submitting on behalf of my mother Kay Jones of 9 East Street Moss vale.
Kind regards,
Tamara Jones-Kormendy

we continue to battle with the prospect of a large, major heavcy industry being "plonked" in the centre of a high density residential area.
The submission still lacks clarity, has a ridiculous traffice solution and ignores such critical items like prevaling wind direction, access, traffic, water, sewer, building height and density, ETC.
This is the wrong industry in the wrong place.
Let the locals believe in the power of the planning department and reject this ill informed, poorly presented proposal that is going out of its way to withhold information. SAY NO NOW

I object to the proposed plastic recycling site. This is not suitable for the Southern Highlands..
Regards
Steven Pettaras

I am writing to formally object to the proposed development by Plasrefine Recycling Pty Ltd and respectfully request that it be recommended for refusal. This objection is based on the significant and far-reaching impacts that this project would have on the Moss Vale community, as well as the lack of clear evidence regarding its benefits to the local area.

I vehemently oppose the proposal for the 'Plasrefine' development in Moss Vale!

The site is absolutely inappropriate for such a proposal so close to a residential area, schools, daycare centres, riparian land that feeds Sydney drinking water supplies and infrastructure that will not satisfy the requirements for such huge volumes of passenger and heavy vehicles in the immediate areas proximal to the site and the broader Southern Highlands road networks. Plasrefine purchased the land on the account of it being 'cheap' with little thought to the detrimental effects it will have on the socioecological environment if this absurd proposal were to go ahead. It seems this was a gamble on a relatively cheap parcel of land, that with due diligence; local and state government authorities have a responsibility and obligation to review and decline any further progress for such a proposal going ahead. This is simply NOT THE RIGHT SITE for this proposal, in this space.

The Plasrefine development is an inappropriate proposal for this site and a true legacy issue from former councils zoning this land, south of Douglas Road for any development of this nature to be considered. This is immediate vicinity to residents and will destroy the lifestyles and endanger immediate residents, and residents in the greater Southern Highlands area and beyond. The Plasrefine facility submissions to date have been ambiguous at best, and should not be considered any further. The area surrounding the site are of a rural nature and a development of this scale will destroy the socioecological amenity of this sensitive area. The roads are unfit to support an exponentially larger volume of heavy and passenger vehicles, hundreds of extra car and truck movements every day! This will endanger residents and further choke what is already a saturated road network in and around Moss Vale. This will cripple the lifestyle of thousands of Southern Highlands residents and negatively affect existing commercial, and residential experiences that the people of the Southern Highlands have worked hard for, for so long.

The site lies in a riparian basin with significant permanent water holdings, which flow directly in to the Wingecarribee River to the East. Wingecarribee River feeds in to the Sydney drinking water supply! With storage and processing of toxic and volatile materials this would become a biohazard and jeopardise the health and safety of local residents and millions of people who rely on the water supply. This water supply would be compromised with the inevitability of the waste to flow, or be blown on the significant westerly winds experienced in the area directly into such sensitive water catchment areas that supply these millions of peoples drinking water. It is also essential to consider airborne emissions that will blow from high emission stacks that will be carried / blown over residents, further sensitive water environments and schools to the east on consistent westerly winds.

It is proposed in submissions to date that the facility will consume up to 15.5 kiloliters of water PER DAY! This is the equivalent of over 150 regular residential households! As we move in to an El Niño cycle this summer it seems negligent to allow a facility such high consumption, and the waste product of this consumption having inevitable negative effect on the sensitive ecological nature of this site. Waste water containing toxic chemicals will be expelled into this riparian land and into Sydney's drinking water catchment.

The local area does not have the fire fighting capacity to manage any potential fires the facility may have. Factories of this nature have a proven record of significant combustion risk as demonstrated by numerous examples of extreme fires in such factories from all over the world. A similar facility in Canberra less than 12 months ago (December 2022) caught fire and burned for several days. Our local fire brigades do not have the capacity to manage any fire risk which would severely compromise the health and safety of tens of thousands of Highlands residents. With a severe bush fire season predicted for this summer (it is a severe fire warning and total fire ban in the area today! it is only October...), our fire fighting resources will be exhausted and with the addition of such a facility it would seem a huge negligence would have prevailed if it were to go ahead, so close to so many residents, in such a sensitive area. It would truly be a catastrophic event which is clear that can be avoided if due diligence occurs, and any further pursuit of this development ceases after the upcoming review.

It is clear due diligence to date has not been met as a legacy and more recent issue as the proponent (GHD) ensues development, with flimsy submissions for a development that can not go ahead in such a sensitive socioecological location. I trust sensibility, responsibility and obligation will be employed from this time with to the local and greater NSW community at significant risk if any further pursuit of this project occurs. I urge due diligence to be exercised by the given authorities within local and state government bodies to dismiss this proposal and rezone this sensitive space in the Southern Highlands for alternate zoning and use in the future.

Thank you for considering my submission.

I object to this project for the following reasons -
Increased traffic through an already congested area
Poor air quality due to toxic chemicals near town centre and local businesses. This will have an adverse effect on my family and every other family and individual in our town
24/7 operation dangerous to people and animals in the area
Negative effect on local wildlife
Noise pollution

I strongly object to the proposed development at 74-76 Beaconsfield Road, Moss Vale, by Plasrefine Pty Ltd.

MOSS VALE PLASTICS RECYCLING FACILITY - SSD-9409987

I strongly OBJECT to the ludacris proposal of the Plasrefine Plastics Facility in Moss Vale, Southern Highlands.

Below are my reasons:

1. The noise, pollution, vibration from the trucks entering and exiting the site, plus from the machinery used to shred and powder the plastic waste, is detrimental to the Garvan Institute which is a few metres from the proposal. This Institute breeds experimental mice and is the only supplier of such mice in Australia. The noise and vibrations from the Plasrefine facility will compromise the lifechanging research done by the Garvan Institute. The Garvan Institute does not damage the environment, nor cause any ill effect to locals or the area.

2. Microplastics are becoming a massive global issue. This will be the largest factory of its kind in Australia, and its located a few hundred metres from homes. The toxicity to residents in our area and to grazing/ agricultural land and waterways is unthinkable. The three largest schools in our region are in the pathway of the winds blowing straight across from the proposed factory. Very definitely the wrong location !

3. This region is a huge tourist area. The amount of dollars that flow into our community through the tourism industry is significant. Many are employed in tourist benefited businesses. The intended site of the factory is in one of the most picturesque spots in our area. Having worked in the tourism industry for 30 years, I cannot understand why our council or government body would choose to destroy the highly lucrative tourism industry with its high employment ratio, for the sake of heavy industry which employs very few due to its highly automated nature. These types of builds need to be situated in unattractive regions where there is not a resident population or other established industries (such as agricultural, tourism, etc) to suffer from the effects.

4. It is now established fact that recycling plastic waste is more detrimental to our environment than putting it in landfill. Plastics can only be recycled a few times before they end up in landfill anyway. In addition to this, the technology proposed to be used by Plasrefine has a lifespan of 10 years. This is simply not an adequate benefit for the damage that this factory will do to our residents, our grazing lands, our agricultural industries such as wineries, olive groves, production of local honey, etc, and our tourism industry.

5. The owner is a Chinese national with experience in toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde production. He was prosecuted in Beijing for polluting. I object to an owner with no experience in recycling, setting up this factory on the banks of the Wingecarribee River which supplies water to 4 million Sydneysiders. I object on the basis that he is inexperienced and could present a possible threat to National security.

That this proposal ever got off the ground at all is ridiculous. It's the wrong location, the wrong industry, the wrong owner.

MOSS VALE PLASTICS RECYCLING FACILITY - SSD-9409987

I object to the Plasrefine Plastics Recycling Facility which is proposed for Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands.

This facility and its enormity is not suitable for the location. It is way too close to residential homes and also farming and agricultural land. It will cause a major impact to the surrounding areas and the greater Southern Highlands.
Roads and infrastructure will not be able to cope with the dramatic increase of traffic movements of cars and haulage trucks to and from such a site that is going to be operating 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
It also has new travel routes that go over level crossings which in the past were deemed an issue, and now they are going to be impacting businesses and the community who use these roads and level crossings. The magnitude of the Plasrefine facility should not be underestimated.

Microplastics will pollute the air, no matter what is being told in the submission, as there is no way to fool-proof this sort of pollution. We get lots of winds in the Southern Highlands and this will only blow any pollution across all the suburbs of the Southern Highlands and impact not only the surround community but the greater community. If there were a fire at this facility, such as the many other like this across NSW and Australia, I can't even put to words the negative impact it will have to peoples health and safety.
There are schools and daycares, businesses, homes and agricultural land, farmers and livestock that will all be negatively impacted by this facility.
There is also the risk of pollution to the Wingecarribee River and also the Sydney water catchment as there is a large Riparian Land and Watercourse that goes directly through this site.
The enormity of the site is frightening with the noise and light pollution that will be added also.

This Plasrefine facility does NOT not have support from our local Wingecarribee Shire Council, or Wendy Tuckerman our member for Parliament who has spoken in Parliament numerous times,of her strong objection to this facility going ahead in the proposed location.
This Facility should not be allowed to go ahead in the Southern Highlands.

Kind regards,
Anna Pittard

The proposed plant should not be located in or even close to a residential area. It also poses a major threat to our environment with air and water contaminants being produced.
The site proposed is not appropriate for an urban area where a major water source for greater NSW is located.
In addition the proposed new roads and traffic that will increase around our once beautiful township will be harmful to our local wildlife and increase the air pollution with the additional trucks on our roads.

The proposed plant would also have massive negative impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of our local population as more green space is destroyed and we watch our wildlife get further picked off (injured and killed) by the extra traffic and the reduced green space to migrate through.

This proposal should NOT be allowed to proceed on the basis of the direct harm it puts our community and environment under!

MOSS VALE PLASTICS RECYCLING FACILITY (SSD-9409987)

I strongly OBJECT to the proposed Plasrefine Plastics recycling facility for Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands.

I do not believe that this is the right place for such a facility. It is too close to farming and residential land, and also right next to the Garvin Institute which does life changing research and having the Plasrefine facility will cause such problems for the mice and research being done as the mice are so sensitive to noise and vibrations. Garvin should not be impacted by such a facility and its just not the right location for such a big plastics recycling facility that would be operating 24/7!!!
It will also directly impact the residents and businesses of the entire Southern Highlands.
Traffic load on the already congested roads will only increase to an unstable amount. Land and home prices will decrease. Microplastics and pollution will fill the air and cause major health concerns. Then there is also the risk of Fire for such a proposed facility - and to be quite frank there is not an appropriate fire HAZMAT close by affecting the air quality and safety of surrounding homes, businesses, daycares, schools, and community.

Please rethink the location of Plasrefine and DO NOT ALLOW it to go ahead in Moss Vale, Southern Highlands. It is not the right site, and their application should be removed from any possibility of further development.

Kind regards,
Nerida Pearson.

I vehemently oppose the proposal for the 'Plasrefine' development in Moss Vale!

The site is absolutely inappropriate for such a proposal so close to a residential area, schools, daycare centres, riparian land that feeds Sydney drinking water supplies and infrastructure that will not satisfy the requirements for such huge volumes of passenger and heavy vehicles in the immediate areas proximal to the site and the broader Southern Highlands road networks. Plasrefine purchased the land on the account of it being 'cheap' with little thought to the detrimental effects it will have on the socioecological environment if this absurd proposal were to go ahead. It seems this was a gamble on a relatively cheap parcel of land, that with due diligence; local and state government authorities have a responsibility and obligation to review and decline any further progress for such a proposal going ahead. This is simply NOT THE RIGHT SITE for this proposal, in this space.

The Plasrefine development is an inappropriate proposal for this site and a true legacy issue from former councils zoning this land, south of Douglas Road for any development of this nature to be considered. This is immediate vicinity to residents and will destroy the lifestyles and endanger immediate residents, and residents in the greater Southern Highlands area and beyond. The Plasrefine facility submissions to date have been ambiguous at best, and should not be considered any further. The area surrounding the site are of a rural nature and a development of this scale will destroy the socioecological amenity of this sensitive area. The roads are unfit to support an exponentially larger volume of heavy and passenger vehicles, hundreds of extra car and truck movements every day! This will endanger residents and further choke what is already a saturated road network in and around Moss Vale. This will cripple the lifestyle of thousands of Southern Highlands residents and negatively affect existing commercial, and residential experiences that the people of the Southern Highlands have worked hard for, for so long.

The site lies in a riparian basin with significant permanent water holdings, which flow directly in to the Wingecarribee River to the East. Wingecarribee River feeds in to the Sydney drinking water supply! With storage and processing of toxic and volatile materials this would become a biohazard and jeopardise the health and safety of local residents and millions of people who rely on the water supply. This water supply would be compromised with the inevitability of the waste to flow, or be blown on the significant westerly winds experienced in the area directly into such sensitive water catchment areas that supply these millions of peoples drinking water. It is also essential to consider airborne emissions that will blow from high emission stacks that will be carried / blown over residents, further sensitive water environments and schools to the east on consistent westerly winds.

It is proposed in submissions to date that the facility will consume up to 15.5 kiloliters of water PER DAY! This is the equivalent of over 150 regular residential households! As we move in to an El Niño cycle this summer it seems negligent to allow a facility such high consumption, and the waste product of this consumption having inevitable negative effect on the sensitive ecological nature of this site. Waste water containing toxic chemicals will be expelled into this riparian land and into Sydney's drinking water catchment.

The local area does not have the fire fighting capacity to manage any potential fires the facility may have. Factories of this nature have a proven record of significant combustion risk as demonstrated by numerous examples of extreme fires in such factories from all over the world. A similar facility in Canberra less than 12 months ago (December 2022) caught fire and burned for several days. Our local fire brigades do not have the capacity to manage any fire risk which would severely compromise the health and safety of tens of thousands of Highlands residents. With a severe bush fire season predicted for this summer (it is a severe fire warning and total fire ban in the area today! it is only October...), our fire fighting resources will be exhausted and with the addition of such a facility it would seem a huge negligence would have prevailed if it were to go ahead, so close to so many residents, in such a sensitive area. It would truly be a catastrophic event which is clear that can be avoided if due diligence occurs, and any further pursuit of this development ceases after the upcoming review.

It seems clear due diligence to date has not been met as a legacy and more recent issue as the proponent (GHD) ensues development, with flimsy submissions for a development that can not go ahead in such a sensitive socioecological location. I trust sensibility, responsibility and obligation will be employed from this time with to the local and greater NSW community at significant risk if any further pursuit of this project occurs. I urge due diligence to be exercised by the given authorities within local and state government bodies to dismiss this proposal and rezone this sensitive space in the Southern Highlands for alternate zoning and use in the future.

Thank you for considering my submission.