Woodlawn Advanced Energy Recovery Centre

My name is Judy Alcock and I live in Oallen and work in Tarago. I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago.
I believe that all industrial waste incinerators are toxic and pose a threat to human health. Veolia cannot guarantee the safety of generations and should not be allowed to build this facility at Tarago.
1. My other concerns are that this project area is surrounded by prime agricultural land and hundreds of rural residential developments. The locality is already saturated with state significant projects and Veolia’s proposal would place an unacceptable cumulative impact on the local and surrounding communities and environment.

2. Veolia note in the EIS that there are another seven active state significant projects in the local area. This is on top of the existing multiple state significant projects Veolia operates at Woodlawn including a landfill, bioenergy plant, mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) facility, wind farm and solar farm. The local area is also surrounded by many other existing state significant projects in addition to the seven listed by Veolia in the EIS – Capital I, II and Collector Wind Farms, Capital Solar farm and numerous other smaller, but still large scale quarry developments.

3. The town has suffered impacts from the Woodlawn site for almost 45 years. The first 20 years from zinc, lead and copper mining undertaken on site, and the last 15 years from Veolia breaching its license conditions through impacting the surrounding region with unbearable odour impacts.

4. The local town is also living with significant lead contamination in and surrounding the rail corridor, including local residences, which has directly impacted the long-term health of the community and young residents, due to long standing impacts from the previous Woodlawn mine.

5. Despite Tarago being the next obvious choice for ACT community to invest in to relocate from the city if Veoila are allowed to build their incinerator here it will significantly impact on land values and stifle the growth of the region.

In conclusion if the NSW Independent Planning Commission rejected an incinerator at Eastern Creek because it was not in the interest of the public then the same outcome should be decided here.

My name is Annette Carter and I live in Collector. I am strongly opposed to and vehemently object Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago.

I believe that Veolia’s toxic industrial waste incinerator will be extremely detrimental to the health of those living in the area. We are proud of being in an area where we harvest our own water and grow our own food. There are many farms in the area. Our child goes to the local school, and it will impact our property prices. There can be no compensation for the health of the local children and the viability of our drinking water and the food we grow. If it’s safe to do, as we are being told, then why is the waste not being burnt where it is being manufactured/made? This would also mean that extensive transport is not needed and therefore better for the environment.

There are many reasons for my objection, such as the health and wellbeing of our community (both physically and mentally) and the environmental impact.

Recent reports, include those send to the NSW Minister for Environment, have concluded that “there is insufficient evidence to conclude that any incinerator is safe” and, in particular “contamination of food ingestion of pollutants is a significant risk pathway for both nearby and distant residents”.

The increased anxiety and other mental health impacts have already had a detrimental negative impact on our community. How would you feel if you harvested your own water and grew your own food and there was a looming threat of those being polluted? This will only be exasperated if the proposal goes ahead.

Unfortunately, Veolia’s overseas incinerators often exceed safety standards. We have been “assured” this will not happen here but the track record of failing to comply to local regulations at the current facility means that we cannot trust that they will follow the required operating conditions.

Please see Attached submission

I object to the building of a waste incinerator at Tarago to burn Sydney's waste.
With the potential to add vast amounts of polutants to the atmosphere and countryside it seems to me to be a very retrograde move when we should be doing the exact opposite.
The present land-fill operation still has many years to go and at least has some positive outcomes. By the time this has finished I hope that far better methods will have been developed in the production of waste and its disposal.

My name is Felicity, I live in Rosebery street Tarago.
I object to the incinerator, the smell is disgusting, the roads are like 3rd world country, the trucks leak all over the road.
That’s aside from the health problems- If it’s not safe for Sydney it people, its not safe for us.
We don’t want it

I live and work in Tarago and I object strongly to the proposed Veolia incinerator. There a lot of reasons that I object to this development, some of which I will detail below:
The NSW Government acknowledges in its own Energy from Waste Infrastructure Plan that waste incinerators impact human health stating “Populations can still experience health impacts when emissions are below the national standards, and for some common air pollutants, there is no safe threshold of impact”.
The proposal has already caused significant detrimental negative impact to surrounding communities’ mental health by increasing anxiety and depression. This will only be increased if the project goes ahead as those living nearby continue to stress about when their health will start to show the impacts of the pollution from the facility, or having to stay indoors.
The proposed incinerator will exceed NSW government safety standards for air emissions during start-up, shut-down and many other ‘non-standard’ operating conditions. Veolia’s overseas incinerators often exceed safety standards and Veolia has a track record locally for failing to comply with license conditions at their existing Woodlawn facility.
I strongly object because if its not safe enough for Sydney its not safe enough for Tarago. No amount of green washing can change the simple fact that this incinerator will contaminate all of us and the environment. This must be stopped. This has no social licence.

I live in Tarago and I strongly object to a toxic incinerator in Tarago. I run a local business in Tarago that will be directly impacted if it goes ahead. There are many reasons that I object, I will list some below.
It is clear there are limited economic benefits to the community from this project. Despite claims made by Veolia in the EIS, there are only a very small number of ongoing jobs created and required in order to manage and maintain the incinerator once constructed. Most of these workers will not reside in the local impacted community and would commute from either Goulburn, Bungendore or Canberra. The creation of this small number of jobs would in no way make up for the negative economic impact of reduced local population due to impacted families moving away, and halt to future growth which will result in pressure put on the viability of local businesses, schools and community organisations.
Employment rates in the local region are high – the jobs this project proposes aren’t needed in the local economy and there simply aren’t the people to fill them. It would likely both steal employees away from existing regional businesses struggling in the current economic environment and utilise significant numbers of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) employees who take and spend their money back home away from the local region. There also simply isn’t enough housing in the local area for these proposed workers – there are currently no vacant rental properties in Tarago, so any workers would be forced to surrounding towns again resulting in no economic benefit to the local area which is most impacted.
The NSW Energy from Waste Policy states that incinerator proposals are only valid where “community acceptance to operate such a process has been obtained”. There is no community acceptance for a facility in Tarago or anywhere in the Southern Tablelands.
Veolia have spent over 15 years failing to operate their existing Woodlawn facility within license conditions, have received multiple infringements, failed to inform the community of pollution to the environment, and attempted to withhold information from the community under freedom of information processes.
If Veolia is allowed to build a toxic incinerator in Tarago and its toxic outputs directly effects my customers and my business, who will I be able to hold accountable? I use tank water for my business on a daily basis, if this is poisoned then who is liable? Who will provide me with clean water? Will I even be told if Veolia has contaminated my water by breaching its emissions standards?
This incinerator must not go ahead. We do not want this here.

This project should not be allowed to proceed. The health of residents in the surrounding areas and as far as Canberra, Goulburn and even to Sydney will be effected by this incinerator. The locals drink tank water that will be contaminated by the chemical fallout from Veolia's plant, are they going to install purification filter and everyone's water supply. The air that we breathe, the produce from our farmers the cattle sheep chicken and the list goes on will be unsafe for human consumption.These so called levels on a paper graph would you honestly believe them. Veolia's EIS is based on their UK plant, maybe the residents opinions should be use in the governments decision to say NO TO THE TARAGO INCINERATOR. If it's not safe for Sydney it's not safe for Tarago or anywhere. Veolia say its safe, but in the event if something does goes wrong it's too late, Tarago and the further communities will be contaminated. We are asked to trust Veolia, they have been fined many times over the years for not following the guidelines and safety standards. You must say NO TO THE TARAGO INCINERATOR

Hello, my name is Aleesha. I live in Goulburn, NSW. I STRONGLY object to Veolias plan to build an incinerator in Tarago.

Burning 9.5 million tonnes of Sydney's garbage is NOT OKAY. The NSW Government literally says these incinerators ARE NOT safe for Sydney. They ARE NOT safe for anyone.

This incinerator will pollute the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for at least 25 years. The air will carry this pollution for kilometres.

It is endangering our farms, environment, water, and health. If this incinerator is built our farms will be impacted for at least 25 years. We will not be able to produce the vital crops and food the civilians need. It will lead to food shortages and civilians lacking the important nutrients we need to survive and thrive.

The pollution will also impact our health because this incinerator will create 2.5 million tonnes of contaminated ash. This ash is extremely unsafe and harmful if it enters our system. By building this deadly incinerator you will not only be harming us but generations to come.

Our waters will also be affected by this deadly incinerator. The contaminated ash can easily enter our dams, water catchments and water storage. This will contaminate our fresh drinking water. This water will then be unsafe to drink. It will need to undergo an extremely expensive filtering process, therefore negatively  effecting our economy.

Our beautiful environment is also at stake. The pollution will kill many plants, and habitats for wildlife, that could lead to their extinction. Our environment will no longer be beautiful and historical, leading to less tourism. Less tourism will impact many businesses, and the overall economy in NSW.

This incinerator is NOT a good idea, there are WAY more reasons why it SHOULD NOT  be built compared to why it should. Do you really want to put an unsafe garbage burner right on Goulburn's doorstep? Do you really want to put NSW's water, air, health, farms and environment at risk? For what, burning Sydney's garbage?

You should not ever build this incinerator anywhere. It is UNSAFE! You can always find another way to get rid of the garbage. You DO NOT need to endanger the population and environment. The negative effects will be huge! Please I am begging you DO NOT build this deadly incinerator!

I am a resident of Tarago. I am disgusted and dismayed that Veolia and the New South Wales Government have colluded to push a toxic waste incinerator on the community of Tarago and the surrounding population. The New South Wales Government last year banned waste incinerators from Sydney because of the risk to human health, as such why dont the people in the communities around Tarago bear the same risk if an incinerator is built next door?
Veolia is a bad neighbour in Tarago and has been since their Woodlawn bioreactor was built almost 20 years ago. The stench that has plagued the community for up to 50kms from their facility is disgusting, and according to Veolias licence every time any one in the community smells the stench from the bioreactor it is a breach of Veolia's licence. In the financial year 21/22 there were over 300 complaints about odour, which is no doubt the tip of the iceberg but people have given up making complaints because the NSW governments seems unwilling to hold Veolia to their licence conditions. The EPA themselves have told the community that they cannot do anything to Veolia because Veolia has too much money and will fight any penalties in court.
Last year Veolia was fined by the EPA for their leaking garbage trucks. Only last months Veolia was served a Prevention notice by the EPA for the contamination of Ground water. This contamination has apparently been ongoing for over 6 years. However noone thought to tell the community. In August this year Veolai was breached by the Planning Department for their leaking dams. When will it end!!!! Veolia has proven time and again that they will pay no attention to their licence conditions, not for stinky leaking bioreactor and certainly not for toxic incinerator once it is approved. They will not be beholden to any limits placed on them by the government. And once it is built why would they. There seems to be no real punishment when they misbehave.
And yet, here we are and the NSW Government thinks its appropriate to give a serial polluter a licence for a toxic waste incinerator. For all the promises that Veolia makes, the local community knows that they arent worth the paper they are written on. Veolia has lied and lied and lied again. Apparently thats what money allows you to do.
How can the NSW government seriously consider giving a company with such an appalling record a licence for a "hazardous waste" dump. Veolia has shown contempt for the rules of their current licence and will no doubt continue that practice in future. Past behaviour is the best indicator of future behaviour.
The local community of Tarago is solely reliant on tank water. What happens to the community when Veolia toxic waste incinerator is found to have contaminated the household water of every single house in the region. Who will be liable for that? Will the NSW Government be paying to get reticulated water to every household within a 100km radius from the waste incinerator? Will local Councils be footing that bill? Veolia should be made to pay a security deposit to the NSW government that is used to fix the issues they cause, not at the end of the life of the incinerator, but as soon as the breaches are found. This of course would mean that appropriate testing would have to be done. I note in the EIS that no real testing is being proposed by Veolia. The cumulative contamination from an incinerator needs to be monitored. This includes monitoring water tanks, Lake George, Lake Bathurst, local populations, local stock, dams etc. No base line testing appears to have ben done. Why not?
Three years ago the NSW Government finally came clean and told the local community that there was lead contamination through the centre of Tarago, including at the local primary school. The children at Tarago primary school could not drink the water at the school for over two years. The NSW Government took responsibility for the clean up of lead in Tarago in early 2020. Yet three years later the lead is still there, the NSW government actually neglected the site to the point that the EPA had to Breach the Department of Transport for the lack of maintenance. The cumulative impact of all of this contamination is degusting. Veolia has no social licence to build a toxic waste incinerator in Tarago. The town has endured and continues to endure too much.
The children of Tarago should not have to be living with a toxic incinerator on their doorstep. They should be able to plan their futures in Tarago without the fear of how the contamination from a toxic waste incinerator will effect their health long term, or the health of their future children. This is intergeneration warfare at its worst.
Europe has started to realise the error of its incinerator ways and many countries have stopped allowing this toxic monstrocities to be built. Yet Australia has been blinded by the spin doctors of companies such as Veolia who realise they are no longer wanted in Europe. Australian government's are being sold are dud. How embarrassing.
Tatrago has no permanent professional fire station, and yet Veolia wants to build a toxic waste incinerator on a site that is classified as bushfire prone. Five years ago one of the local wind farms started a fire that almost burnt out town down. Surely the NSW government is smart enough to see the risk that an an cinerator would pose in this area. The closest fire station is 40 minutes drive away. Whole communities can be burnt to the ground in that time, as was witnessed in the fire of 2019/2020. The risk is just too high. All Veolia cares about is the money and all the NSW Government cares about is disappearing Sydney's waste. Once our town is burnt or contaminated there is not coming back. Or is that what you want?
Tarago already takes up to 40 percent of Sydney's garbage. Surely Sydney should be looking at ways to deal with their own garbage shame. Whilst Sydney can keep sending it here and pretending that it just magically disappears then the real issue of plastics and recycling will not be dealt with. Burning garbage does not trun it into nothing. All of the fly ash, bottom ash and toxic plume will contaminate the community. Burning garbage is not part of the circular economy unless you dont actually understand how a circle works. It actively takes material out of the circular economy. It is also not recycling. It is burning fossil fuel in another form. This is not green energy.
At the South London Incinerator there have been 40 breaches of the air emission standards over 42 months. This is a modern incinerator. Is this what will happen in with Veolias incinerator in Tarago? How will we know when this has happened as there seems to be no real time monitoring proposed. Ans when it does happen with Veolia and the NSW Government test everybodys water tanks after each breach to check that our water has not been contaminated. Or will the local community only find out when there are significant cancer clusters and the children become increasingly sick?
There are at least 13 rare/threatened species in Tarago including a koala population next door to the incinerator site. If you dont care about the people that live in Tarago what about these threatened species? How has Veolia tried to steer away from from even acknowledging that these pollutions even exist let alone what it plans to do to protect them from the toxic outputs from their incinerator.
I note that despite multiple formal requests for information the NSW Government refuses to tell the community how it came to be that Tarago was one of only four sites in NSW that could host an incinerator. This in itself seems to verge on corruption and collusion with a foreign multinational company. If incinerators are safe and not a risk to human health then why cant they be built everywhere?
Is its not safe enough for Sydney then its not safe anywhere. Just because there are less of us does not make our lives worth less. You must not allow Veolia to build a toxic waste incinerator in Tarago.

Burning toxic waste to produce alleged clean energy is impossible even with technology we have today, you can not burn anything clean and that's a known fact not in dispute here.
We live approximately eighty kilometers from the proposed plant but we know the exhaust gasses produced by burning waste will affect us at Marulan.
We moved to a country town to be away form all the Hussle bustle of big cities and to retire in a relatively clean air environment but we keep hearing about all the industry that wants to spoil our way of life. We've had to fight off incinerators even closer to us in the last couple of years and it seems crazy to us as we have local council here that is unanimously opposed to waste to energy incinerators yet our state government wont listen to them or us locals and just ban the dirty things.
These dirty plants are banned in the ACT, and this proposed incinerator is on the boarder to the ACT, they are being moth balled in the EU as they are "dinosaur technology" yet these people still propose to let us breath the air that will be poisoned with exhaust waste from burning unrecyclable waste, really?? A parent company that would not be allowed to build a new plant in France as the incinerators are now being moth balled. Not to mention the water and food chain ramifications from the exhaust blooms, a food area that feeds all Australians!
ACT Government bans them but NSW Government wants to allow them so ACT residents mean more to the ACT Government then NSW residents mean to NSW Government, please Dear minister surely good sense must prevail here if we are going to put the health and well being of our fellow humans after big multi-national companies and money, well what we have in our lives is over.
We here at Marulan have lived a good life and now in our last quarter of it but its the young ones we think about, our Grand niece starts school next year and she is the one we are very concerned about, we don't want our young ones breathing in all this toxic fumes that nobody can guarantee wont hove massive long term heath effects.
The company running the now waste reactor has a poor record already of pretty much invading the locals lives each day with excessive smells, many transport movements and the like, so confidence is low thinking these people will adhere to any restrictions put on them things can only get worse, tiny fines to multi national companies has never been a deterrent and never will be.
We ask you Dear minister to come and visit Tarago, and our Southern Tablelands, before any decision is made, you will see for your self why we are so passionate about this area and why our own Mayor and former General Manager used the term, "PRISTINE AREA"
Why should we not fight to keep our area "PRISTINE" for our future generations?
Please think about your fellow humans and future generations not big multi national companies that only think of profit and shareholders
We ask you not only to do the right thing and decline this proposed dirty incinerator but we ask you to do the Australian thing and think of us all

Thank you

I live in Currawang, NSW, 13km north-west of the site of the proposed incinerator. I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built near Tarago. I fear that Veolia’s toxic industrial waste incinerator will have an extremely negative impact on both the physical and mental health of people living in Tarago and the surrounding areas, including myself and my family. In addition to filling our lungs with toxins, many of us will also ingest these toxins in the drinking water we collect from our roofs that the food we grow in our gardens and on our farms. Our community is already under a great deal of stress after five years of drought, fire and flooding, with many people at breaking point, including myself. I live only 13 km north-west of the proposed site and I often smell the stench from Veolia’s existing operations, so I know that the toxic emissions from the proposed incinerator will enter my environment, my body and the bodies of my growing children. If toxic waste incinerators are too dangerous for the people of Sydney then they are also too dangerous for the people of Tarago and surrounds.

My name is Vivian Harris and I live in Wayo which is just out of Goulburn. I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago.

I believe that Veolia’s toxic industrial waste incinerator will affect not only my family that lives in Tarago but also my family in Goulburn which includes my grandchildren.

There are many reasons for my concerns and they are not just about the incinerator but about the waste that is being sent to Tarago already and affecting the groundwater and quality of life for the residents of Tarago.
My profession is in the early childhood field and so I am aware of the importance of the first five years of life and where a child grows up. My family has chosen the Goulburn area to live for the quality of life and the clean air that we appreciate. My husband is the third generation of his family to live in this area and I have lived here for 40 years. I lived in a capital city in my growing years and then moved to a regional city before moving to Goulburn.
I do not understand why in a rural area we are the ones that will suffer by the burning of Sydney’s rubbish. Why when Sydney says no to burning of the rubbish in Sydney do we have to suffer with air pollution? Are we not important as there are less of us? Is there a view that our air quality is not important as we are in a rural area? My family is not complete as yet so this would affect my future grandchildren as well and if it goes ahead for their whole life. It would not only affect their physical health but their mental health as well. As a couple of my grandchildren are teenagers they will be thinking why the government would make a decision that affects their health.
If the NSW Government acknowledges that waste incinerators impact the health of those in the surrounding areas then why would they let it go ahead? The Federal Government in Canberra would be affected as well as they are in the area that the air pollution would be, including all the other towns in the Southern Tablelands. The NSW Government needs to show it is as concerned about the health and lifestyle of those who live in rural areas and not just for those who live in Sydney.
I strongly oppose the incinerator and hope that some sense in the matter might prevail.

Hi, I live in Goulburn with my husband, two small children and dog. I vehemently object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago.
 
I believe that Veolia’s toxic industrial waste incinerator will be detrimental to the health of all those living in the surrounding areas. The risks of toxic pollution to my family, friends and neighbours is unacceptable. There is also the risk to local wildlife and food contamination concerns. There are many farms in the region and risk of contamination to the food chain would impact not only local farmers but the whole country. In the last few years this reigning has had an influx of growth and more people move out of city centres, looking for a less crowded and polluted place to call home. This plant would be a blow to all those in the religion, impacting population movement and growth as people who have the means to move do and those who do not suffer the associated health risks of staying in range of this plant.

At this point in history we know better, we know this kind of plant is bad for the environment and for the health of everyone. And when we know better, we can do better. If this plant goes ahead it would show that those in power not only don’t care to do better but also that they don’t consider the health and safety of the future generations important.

I am a member of the public and I live in the Yass Valley Region. I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago. I believe that Veolia’s toxic industrial waste incinerator will cause huge issues in the food security sector, and have an impact on the health of our environment that we cannot recover from.
The characterisation of waste incineration as renewable energy generation is misinformation and should not be fed to the public because it is a lie. It will not reduce greenhouse emissions or reliance on fossil fuels. Unlike wind and solar generated power, waste doesn’t come from infinite natural processes. It is sourced from finite resources – minerals, fossil fuels and forests that are cut down at an unsustainable rate. Plastic is a petroleum by-product. Burning it is the same as burning fossil fuel and produces similar emissions, the lack of transparency about this is corrupt. In 2019, academics from the Australian National University Medical School, the Public Health Association of Australia, and Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australia completed a systematic review of the health impacts of waste incineration, which was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health in 20202 and referenced by the NSW Government Chief Scientist and Engineer in his report to the NSW Minister for Environment that same year. This report concluded that “there is insufficient evidence to conclude that any incinerator is safe” and in particular “contamination of food and ingestion of pollutants is a significant risk pathway for both nearby and distant residents”. This project will put people's lives, their families and their futures at risk. Food contaminated by incinerator toxins can cause cancer, miscarriage, infant deaths, developmental delays, reproductive issues, heart disease and respiratory impairment. You will be killing people if this project goes forward. Veolia’s incinerator proposal will emit toxic air pollution 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 25 years, which will spread throughout the region from Canberra to Goulburn, Braidwood, Bungendore, Murrumbateman, Gunning, Marulan, Yass and more. The consequences that we WILL see in a few years to come if this project goes ahead will be catastrophic, and the Australian public will hold you liable for this.

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I live in Murrumbateman but will be shortly be moving to Yass. I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago.
I strongly believe that Veolia’s toxic industrial waste incinerator will harm our beautiful regions wine industry.
Here are a few reasons not to have the incinerator.
• Pollution from the proposed incinerator will includes acid gases, toxic heavy metal particulates (mercury, lead cadmium) and persistent organic particulates (dioxins, furans, PCBs, PFAS). Particulate pollution can lead to decreased lung function, cardiac disease and death. In addition to polluting the air, dioxins and furans will accumulate in the surrounding environment over time in soil and water and are absorbed by plants, crops and animals. This will then damage the regions wine industry and will not be able to continue producing the same high quality, award winning wine.
• Veolia’s incinerator proposal will emit toxic air pollution 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 25 years, which will spread throughout the region from Canberra to Goulburn, Braidwood, Bungendore, Murrumbateman, Gunning, Marulan, Yass and more.
• Food contaminated by incinerator toxins can cause cancer, miscarriage, infant deaths, developmental delays, reproductive issues, heart disease and respiratory impairment.. Who then Would want to carry that risk when purchasing wine or other food sources from the region?

In conclusion, there are no benefits to have this facility and would greatly impact the wine and food industry negatively.

I live in Bungendore and object to the Veolia incinerator proposed in Tarago.

I believe the waste incinerator is a major concern due to the social and environmental sustainability impacts it will have to the region including Canberra.
I understand Veolia's incinerator will pump out dangerous air pollution and toxic smoke which we could inhale, leading to major health impacts such as asthma, lung disease, heart disease, stroke, cancer and heart attack.

There will be huge environmental impacts as the chemicals and toxic ash from the incinerator process leach into the surrounding environment and groundwater and lead to poisoning of waterways including bores and dams. Most properties have water tanks, which will be contaminated by the toxins washed from the roof.

There are many farms in region, the pollution will impact agriculture and food. The toxins will penetrate the plants, soil and water which will lead to contaminated crops and animals. We will ingest the toxins from the contaminated food which could lead to health impacts such as cancer, developmental delays, heart disease and respiratory disease.

Please refer to objections as listed in the attachment

You must think about the farmers their livelihood who will buy the meats fruit and vegetables knowing that their produce has come from the area where the fall out from Veolia's incinerator is situated. If the incinerator is not safe for Sydney it's not safe for Tarago. The plume from the plant will be carried for miles especially on windy days no suburb will be safe from these harmful fumes. It's my kids that will suffer. Overseas plants are being shutdown yet our government are building them. Build a plant in the middle of the desert better still don't build them at all. YOU MUST SAY NO TO THE INCINERATOR AT TARAGO.

My name is Bernadette Wyatt and I live on a farm along Bungendore Road, Tarago. I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago.

I believe that Veolia’s toxic industrial waste incinerator will:

It will be toxic to our health and our environment - It will operate and emit toxic air pollution 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 25 years, which will spread throughout the region from Canberra to Goulburn, Braidwood, Bungendore, Murrumbateman, Gunning, Marulan, Yass and more. Pollution will include acid gases, toxic heavy metal particulates (mercury, lead cadmium) and persistent organic particulates (dioxins, furans, PCBs, PFAS).These can lead to decreased lung function, cardiac disease and death. In addition to polluting the air, dioxins and furans will accumulate in the surrounding environment over time in soil and water and are absorbed by plants, crops and animals. In addition to this any food contaminated by incinerator toxins can cause cancer, miscarriage, infant deaths, developmental delays, reproductive issues, heart disease and respiratory impairment.

It simply isn’t necessary -Veolia have stated the existing Woodlawn landfill has a remaining useful life of 25 years. If NSW Government’s meet goals to reduce volumes of residual waste that time will be extended that life even longer. There is no need to divert one-third of waste received by Veolia when there is sufficient capacity already in their existing landfill which captures methane emissions to fuel/power generator that create and supply electricity to the grid.

Waste incineration is not recycling and contributes to climate change - Veolia’s claims that incineration is better than landfill due to methane emissions is fallacious as it ignores the fact that methane produced from their landfill is captured which prevents it from entering the atmosphere. They also utilise this to generate power which is pumped into the grid. This process is much better for the environment as it does not produce the CO2, air pollution and toxic ash by-products an incinerator does.This will contribute to climate change by emitting 140,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases (CO2) each year. To approve the project is inconsistent with the NSW government commitment to Net 0 emissions by 2030.

Negative Economic Impact - This proposal would risk the viability of local agricultural businesses, reduce existing residential developments as families move away due to the health and environmental pollution, and put a halt to any further long-term local business development or growth in rural residential developments as the area.

If this project is not safe for Sydney it is not safe for Tarago - In July 2018, the Eastern Creek waste incinerator in Sydney was rejected by the NSW Independent Planning Commission as not being in the public interest. The reasons included concerns about safety, insufficient evidence that the pollution control technologies would be capable of managing emissions, concern about the relationship between air quality impacts and water quality impacts, the possibility of adverse environmental outcomes, and concern about site suitability and human health impacts. Since then, the NSW Government has banned toxic waste incinerators in Sydney due to the risk to human health. The risks have not changed since that decision back in 2018 – this project must also be rejected - If they aren’t safe for Sydney then they aren’t safe for Tarago.

From this it is clear that an incinerator in Tarago should NOT be approved.
Kind Regards
Bernie Wyatt