People power puts incinerator on the back burner
01 March 2022
People power has put the proposed Remondis Energy from Waste facility on the back burner, with the company announcing it will withdraw its application from the Coordinator-General for consideration.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said Council was delighted with the decision, and said it showed the Remondis proposal lacked any social license to proceed.
“Ipswich residents have made it clear they don’t want to be south-east Queensland’s dumping ground,” Mayor Harding said.
“This is a big win for the many in our community who stood up and said no to a project that would have had significant impacts on residents, local amenity and the environment.
“Council had pushed hard for recent changes to the Temporary Local Planning Instrument to ensure an incinerator could not be built in an area so close to residential development.
“Instead of incineration, we should be looking to both minimise the waste we create and maximise recycling and resource recovery – things Council has prioritised through our Waste and Circular Economy Transformation Directive.
“This is a massive boost for the Ipswich community.”
Division 3 Councillors Marnie Doyle and Andrew Fechner welcomed today’s announcement, saying residents in surrounding suburbs would be relieved to hear of the project’s withdrawal.
“Residents have made it clear they did not want a waste incinerator in their community,” Cr Doyle said.
“This has been causing concern for too long in the community, and Remondis’ withdrawal of this project has been long overdue.”
Cr Fechner welcomed the support of local state MPs in helping drive people power to push for this decision.
“I would like to thank the local state MPs, for their support and for backing Council’s stance,” Cr Fechner said.
“It’s great to see a common-sense outcome for the city, and for residents who’ve pushed hard for this outcome.”
The Waste and Circular Economy Transformation Directive supports Council’s future waste policy direction. Council is already making efforts to change its own operations and is undertaking a FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) trial as an action of the Directive.
Remondis first announced and lodged with the State Government in 2018 and were given Coordinated Project Status by the Office of the Coordinator-General in 2020.