Moss Vale Plastics Recycling Facility

I am submitting this in opposition to the above-mentioned State Significant Development by Plasrefine Recycling Pty Ltd.

A a long term resident of Moss Vale I am disgusted by the proposed toxic Plastic Waste facility at 74-76 Beaconsfield Rd Moss Vale.

The idea that such a toxic facility could be considered in a residential / agricultural area beggars belief
The Local DCP doesn’t allow for this type of heavy industry on that site - it's classed as a buffer site
Wingecarribee Shire Council does not support this abomination of a proposal

The traffic impacts and effects on the already strained Wingecarribee infrastructure will be destructive to the roads, the well-being of residents and the local ecology.
It's dirty all the way around. There will be light pollution, toxic sludge on roads and microplastics leaching into soils and local waterways - and into the Sydney water catchment!

This ugly, polluting toxic, inappropriate development is being forced on the local community by inexperienced operators who have a history of environmental negligence

There has been a lack of real community consultation and transparency. Plasrefines proposals are a ever-changing shell game
I grew up in Moss Vale and have built a life and a family here. I am stunned that this beautiful area should be considered as a dumping ground for this toxic development

I have not spoken to one resident who believes that this monstrosity will benefit this area
Land values will be affected. It will damage the infrastructure, ecology, amenity, safety and health of residents
We don't want it and it's not the right site

I have not made a political donation. Please contact me if you wish to publish my private details.

Submitted in disgust - this just shouldn’t be.

As per my previous submission I strongly object to develop this site for the use of plastics recycling. It is the wrong site for this type of facility. The potential for environmental degradation is too high particularly in an area so close to a residential community and situated within the Sydney drinking water catchment area. The proponent has resubmitted multiple iterations of the plan and yet none of these adequately or throughly address any of the issues previously raised which required resubmission. It appears that they consider the objections raised regarding traffic and routes for trucks to take was the most important item to address. Although some changes have been made to routes for the significant number of trucks in and out of the facility on a daily basis, they will still be required to use poor quality, narrow roads within the local area. However, the most pressing concerns that I have with this site are the very real potential for major negative environmental impacts, including leaked micro plastics into the air and water ways, potential fire hazard, as evidenced in many documented plastic recycling facility fires in Australia and overseas, the visual impact and negative change to the amenity of the Southern Highlands. The original plan stated that the facility would be recycling sorted plastics it now appears that it is a sorting facility for a variety of waste including wire, copper, aluminium, steel, paper, film and diverse plastics. These changes deeply concern me as the detail in the various plans submitted is not consistent and therefore an accurate assessment of the precise function of the facility remains unclear. There is no overall independent monitoring proposed and therefore the entire community cannot be expected to have any trust that the facility will function and operate within any approved application nor within any acceptable guidelines for environmental protection laws. Further, the complete lack of a buffer zone between the proposed facility and residential housing, child care facilities, schools, existing sensitive industry, for example the Garvan Institute, and being less that 3klms from the centre of the town of Moss Vale is dangerous due to the nature of the hazardous waste and chemicals which are proposed to be processed and stored on this site. In particular, the health risks to residents not only of Moss Vale but the entire Southern Highlands area, including children and the elderly are unacceptable. There is extensive scientific research regarding the impact of micro plastics on human health and the potential for infertility, increased risk of cancer and heart disease. The EIS and Appendices do not provide any assessment of these health risks and therefore it is surely not possible that the NSW government could allow this facility to operate, at this site, given the potential for a huge increase in the burden of health care on the Government. The mitigation measures, discussed in the proposal, regarding toxic fumes, known to be harmful to humans, from "the stack" are inadequate and are only hypothetical. All NSW residents are currently being informed, by way of government public safety announcements, of the major increased risk of bushfire now and into the future, as a result of climate change, and yet this facility poses significant risk of uncontrollable fire in an area where there is already limited fire fighting capacity. A plastics recycling facility, on this site, places Moss Vale and the Southern Highlands at a real and present danger of overwhelming fire potential. This clearly demonstrates the potential hazards of this proposed facility and additionally it is not permissible in the General Industrial Zone under the Local Environmental Plan of the Wingecarribee Shire and additionally the Wingecarribee Council does not support the proposal. All of the above clearly demonstrate that this is the wrong site for this type of facility.

The attached submission provides a case for objecting to the Plasrefine proposal.

This submission is from Spencer Lewis.

I believe that this is a ‘major project’ that poses significant concerns to our ‘local community’. The project must not be built in the proposed residential area! The considerable volume of truck movements so close to local schools and residential housing poses a safety risk. The prospect of increased congestion to the road network will impact this beautiful area/community greatly. It is of paramount importance that this project seeks an alternative location!

The project is too close to existing residential areas for a high traffic business. The proponent has no previous experience in this type of operation. The logistics of sorting domestic waste, cleaning it, and turning it into a viable feedstock for manufacturing is unproven. A recent example is the REDcycle collapse, which failed as a business. This project should be refused.

We live in Moss Vale and are appalled at the prospect of having the proposed Plastic Waste Processing facility at 74-76 Beaconsfield Rd Moss Vale approved to go ahead. We do not need Plasrefine in Moss Vale, creating a social & environmental disaster. Wrong proposal, wrong place.

We have previously objected, attended community meetings to object and have been astonished that this proposal is still being considered, given the opposition from Wingecarribee Shire Council, residents and our elected representatives both state and Federal.

When we first received flyers in our letterbox about Plasrefine years ago we were initially pleased to think that someone was taking recycling of plastic seriously. In the years since we have discovered the multitude of problems associated with both recycling plastic & the proposed Moss Vale location & urge you to seriously consider all the negatives this development would bring to the Moss Vale community, and beyond. The vast amount of scientific literature which has become available from more recent research shows the toxicity and widespread presence of microplastic which we were not aware of previously.

We are prepared to accept carefully planned development in our area which responds to a need in the community & does not diminish our amenity or that of our community. Apart from that of residents, the amenity of the many visitors to the Southern Highlands will be adversely impacted. Having a toxic dump installed will repulse visitors and potential relocators, and those brave enough to venture once to Moss Vale will not return once they become aware of the microplastics entering the air they would breathe as well as polluting the catchment area of the local and Sydney water supply. Residents living closer to the site will experience noise, light, air, traffic and visual pollution which is unacceptable in an existing residential area. They will also be the real time guinea pigs for microplastic toxicity, while the Garvan Institute will no longer be able to guarantee the high level of quality of their products with the inevitable microplastic contamination resulting from proximity to Plasrefine.

The commercial value of recycling plastic has drastically declined over this time, and the potential for fires and actual fires (note the very recent fire in Picton!) has caused grave concerns over stockpiled plastics. We understand that Plasrefine and Moss Vale would become the dumping ground for plastics from a wider area than originally intended - why does Moss Vale have to deal with a problem which should be eliminated at the source by removing our reliance on cheap plastic packaging? Reduction of plastic use is the first step, regulation of production & careful sorting by users are parts of the solution.

The only thing which seems to have changed to our earlier objections is the access via a proposed new rail crossing which is also problematic, given the delays which will be encountered by trucks delayed by stationary and halted trains travelling across this line to Boral. As a local I can attest to the lengthy delays caused by these very long freight trains travelling this line because I too am frequently delayed by them at the Suttor Rd crossing in Moss Vale.

Road safety was a major factor initially ignored by Plasrefine. There was no regard shown for child or resident safety and a blatant disregard for the community with 3 schools targeted to be impacted. The traffic study carried out during school holidays Dec 2020 was irrelevant and misleading. Routing heavy vehicles in school and residential zones was beyond belief and we are relieved this has been amended.

The total disregard for health and safety of the Moss Vale community which this proposal has shown all along is indicative of the future attitudes which Plasrefine would no doubt demonstrate if given approval to carry out an operation which requires a high level of proactive safety considerations and concern for the community. We are aware of breaches of safety in other locations by entities associated with the proponents of Plasrefine and hold grave concerns over the future of a Moss Vale operation. Is there a standard to meet as ‘a fit and proper entity’ in order to operate an industry where a high degree of safety and quality control of a toxic substance is required?

We are disgusted at the previous lack of community or stakeholder engagement in the SIA determining access. The way that GHD eventually interacted with the community was tightly controlled, with limited numbers able to attend and no questions allowed to be asked! It shows a lack of respect for the community this proposal is being forced upon and a very poor future prospect of this company ever considering the community in any aspect of their function.

We are also astonished that Plasrefine considers it is eligible for a Federal government grant – using taxpayer dollars!- to fund this operation. While not even owning the land outright on which this operation is proposed, and having no existing road access to the site how could a business case possibly stack up which would see Plasrefine be anything other than a white elephant? Who would lend money to finance an operation which cannot fund itself, has a dubious commercial profitability future, and is opposed by everyone except the proponents?

Please include our concerns regarding this proposal, in addition to the change of access.

We would appreciate a response as to why this proposal is being forced on the Moss Vale community, outside the control of our Council and bypassing the views of our elected representatives.

Please do not let the Moss Vale community suffer for the sake of a quick, cheap & dirty solution (?) to a much bigger problem the whole state & nation need to fix. There are no winners with this proposal, only losers.

And the losers are us, our family, our community & our natural environment- now & into the future. We cannot sit idly by & watch further damage be done to our community.

Thank you for including our concerns regarding this proposal and we look forward to your response.

See attached

I strongly object to this proposal, as the location of same is far too close to residents' homes. There are many other sites that would be more suitable for such a facility, and the chosen one is in no way suitable, not just for the health of local residents, but for the increase in heavy vehicle traffic in the vicinity. Moss Vale is already struggling with bottlenecks and the roads are inadequate for current vehicle traffic.

The proposal includes two discharge flues - these will greatly affect the surroundings areas by introducing noxious fumes across a wide area. They are not depicted on any of the architectural drawings or renders.

I object to the amended State Significant Development Application, Moss Vale Plastics Recycling Facility SSD-9409987.
This project, close to the township of Moss Vale is proposed for an unsuitable location and will have significant negative impacts upon Moss Vale and the wider community. The proponent continues to deceive the community about the impacts of this proposal given the series of amendments we have seen. Badly done.

I am advised that the applicant is REQUIRED to provide owners consent for any land needed for access to the site. This must be lodged as part of the submission documentation - there is no consent for the land needed for the access road. Further the applicant needs to provide a detailed costing of the works for the whole project. There is no updated costing provided.

The submission dos not show the development in the overall context of the surroundings areas. The inclusion of a location plan would clearly show the massive scale of this proposal.
The EIS should also demonstrate that this propsal does not affect future structured development of the adjoining sites.
The business to the direct East is an important medical research facility - it will be impacted in a detrimental way and I also understand that they intend to expand their business.

Whilst GHD's report focusses on traffic impacts on the level crossing on Douglas Road, it makes no comment on the incread truck traffic impact on the level crossing on Berrima Road.
As all trucks delivering plastic to the proposed site must use this crossing, and there will be a high hourly truck frequency, it is reasonable to assume that groups of trucks may be exiting the M31 in close proximity to each other.
This could create a significant traffic back up (Coming to and from the plant) - particularly in normal peak traffic times . it is not inconceivable to assume traffic congestion reaching as far back as the Berrima Road/ Douglas Road intersection and the Berrima Road / Taylor Avenue intersection on the other side. Long delays could become a constant daily occurrence.

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

I live in Southern Highlands, and I believe the proposed Plastic Waste Facility at 74-76 Beaconsfield Rd Moss Vale if totally unsuitable in the proposed location.

There are so many things wrong with this proposal. To start, there is a lack of detail. Plasrefine claims that they will provide more details once the project is approved, but this is not good enough. We need to know the details now, so that we can make an informed decision about whether or not they are even qualified to run such a facility.

The proposed facility will generate dust, noise, vibration, and traffic. It will also produce a odours, and it will be located just 200 meters from residential areas. This is unacceptable. Any pollution from the facility would be a problem, due to the rural nature of the area.

The facility will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This will have a significant impact on the quality of life for residents of Moss Vale. The facility will also reduce land values in the area.

The proposed facility is located on ecologically sensitive land. There is a large riparian land and watercourse on the site that flows directly to the Wingecarribee River. This is a Sydney Water catchment! The facility has the potential to cause irreversible damage to the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment.

The bulk and scale of the proposed facility is also a concern. The buildings are too big for the site, and the built environment is too large. The facility is also too close to the Garvan operated Australian Bio Recourses and their staff.

I am also concerned about the fire risk associated with the proposed facility. The Wingecarribee Shire Council has limited resources for dealing with potential fires, and there is a lack of HAZMAT resources in the area. The ever-increasing number of fires in waste facilities is also a concern.

The operators of Plasrefine have no experience in plastics recycling. The Principal Technical Director of Plasrefine Pty Ltd, MR LYU, has a long history of environmental sanctions in China. I am not confident that Nanxi Zheng is a fit and proper person to hold an EPL (environment protection Licence) to operate this facility.

The proposed facility will emit microplastics, health-impacting chemicals, and bioaccumulation of toxins into the environment. There is also the potential for spills and accidents, due to human error. There is a lack of detail about the "deodoriser" proposed to wash plastic, and I am concerned about the potential odor impacts from the "essential oils".

The local Development Control Plan (DCP) does not allow for this type of Heavy Industry on that site. The DCP states that it is a BUFFER site. The Wingecarribee Shire Council is also NOT supportive of the proposal.

I do not understand how this proposal is being considered so near Moss Vale and the Southern Highlands. This facility is a threat to our health, our environment, and our way of life.

Please reject this proposal.

There does not appear to be any consideration giev to truck staging areas.
There is very little available area along Berrima Road or Douglas Road, so the only potential staging area for trucks would be along Taylor Avenue.
If this was the case, input from residents in New Berrima would need to be sought due to the impact on local traffic and local amenity

Plasrefine's proposal states: Following project approval, an ACHMP would be developed to manage Aboriginal cultural heritage within the study area. The ACHMP will be developed in consultation with the RAPs.
I believe this is far too late in the process and indigenous leaders should be consulted before the project approval. This is because indigenous leaders may wish to delay or object to the project because of the inadequacy of a plan and this should be done prior to project approval

See attached

I strongly object to this project. I live in nearby Burradoo. We moved to this regional area outside of Sydney for its clean unpolluted environment. The risk of pollution and contamination is too high to be near residential areas. Micro-plastics, toxic fumes and contaminated water are side product components of this project and I object it being so close to where my children and I live and go to school. This is a agricultural and tourist area. Heavy polluting industry has no place here.

I strongly object to this proposal for the following reasons:
1. Proposed site is immediately adjacent to a residential area of the township of Moss Vale.
2. Contamination from the facility discharged into the local environment and into the Sydney Water Catchment Area
2. Micro plastics and forever chemicals being discharged into the Moss Vale sewerage system.
3. Impact on Riparian zones
4. Extreme risk of fire - a fire has occurred in a plastics recycling facility every year for the past five years and more than 70 fires have occurred in that period in plastics sorting facilities.
5. Southern Highlands does not have fire fighting facilities to cope with hazardous materials fires of this scale.
6. The large scale of the facility
7. Noise, light and vibrations impacting surrounding properties and township.
8. Excessive heavy vehicle movement on local and residential roads.
9. Lack of detail in the proposal
10. Questions relating to the management of the facility.