Woodlawn Advanced Energy Recovery Centre

Please refer to the attached letter from Chief Minister Andrew Barr.

Kind Regards,
Gerard Hodshon
CMTEDD DLO
Office of the Chief Minister

The proposed ARC near Tarago constitutes a major risk for the Canberra District Wine Industry. The EIS has failed to consider the impact of the ARC on the grape growing and wine making industry in the surrounding region. This specifically relates to the potential for the grapes grown in the region to take up taints from plume produced by the ARC as well as the deposition of deleterious substances into the soils which may then be further released and have negative impacts on grape production. The Australian Wine Research Institute's (AWRI's) findings from their assessment of the EIS indicate a high level of risk by locating the ARC at Woodlawn. The AWRI report on their findings is attached.
The negative impact the proposed ARC may have, is not only on the value of production from the Canberra District Wine region that may be lost, but on the value the industry contributes to the regional tourism industry covering accommodation, restaurants and attractions. The regional wine industry is a substantial drawcard of tourists to the region.

Woodlawn ARC: SSD-21184278
My name is Jacqueline Miers. I live on Mt Fairy Rd, Mt Fairy, which is 13 kilometres from Tarago.
I strongly object to the application of the Woodlawn Advanced Energy Recovery (ie. Tarago Incinerator).
I believe that this proposed incinerator will release excessive toxic fumes into the air and damage the environment. This has major implications for the health of the population in the region.
People have invested in property and established their lives in this region, which is now under jeopardy by this proposal.
On my property, I farm goats. The health of the goats will be affected by the air they breathe. While my farm is 13kms by road from Tarago, it is less than that by line-of-sight. Therefore, the toxins they breathe and absorb will affect the goat meat which people eat. The long term health implications of this situation are not worth risking, for the sake of this Tarago incinerator. Another location needs to be found which does not affect farms and people.
Additionally, given most of the waste products being burnt will be from Sydney, the message that is being sent to the community is that people in the region matter less than people in the city. This has a social impact on the welfare of people in this region.
I have no political donations.
I acknowledge the Department's disclaimer and declaration.
I strongly request this project is rejected, and that the health of people and animals are put above this project.

I strongly object to the Woodlawn Energy Recovery Centre at Tarrago. Waste incinerators have been banned in the ACT and most of NSW. They are banned because they are harmful to human health. The people of Tarrago and surrounding areas, including the ACT, will be adversely affected by the toxic pollutants produced by Veolia’s incinerator. Let Sydney deal with their own waste problems. If Veolia’s claims that it is not harmful to human health are true why aren’t they building this plant in Sydney? I think the answer to the question is pretty obvious.

I object to the proposed waste to energy incinerator as Veolia intends to burn close to our town and they cannot guarantee that flyaway ash will fall on our roofs and into a water tanks. The proposed fuel stock was planned mixed commercial, residential and industrial.

Tarago is an extremely windy location and their poor strategy suggest for their ash management would increase the likelihood of it moving outside of their proposed waste management facility.

I believe that Veolia's proposed waste incinerator will cause significant risks to local and regional communities for both environmental and health / safety reasons.

All domestic and commercial water in the region is captured directly from rainwater. Particulates created by the incinerator will be guaranteed to end up in our drinking water, livestock, and crops.
Tarago and the surrounding area is home to prime agricultural land, going ahead with an incinerator would cause unknowable impact not only to the quality of the goods produced, but the reputational impact of simply having such a well known highly toxic facility in the region will cause financial impact to everyone.

Veolia have a proven record of failing to manage hazards and malice caused by their operations to the local community. For 15 years the village and surrounding areas have had to deal with their inability to manage their existing responsibilities in the Woodlawn mine bioreactor. Why reward this with further responsibilities and contracts?

We have already had our drinking water and gardens poisoned with lead contamination due to works completed to increase train accessibility to the existing Woodlawn min tip. If this project goes ahead how long until something like this happens again? We rely on clean, safe air so that the matter on our roofs doesn't wash into our water tanks and then into our bodies. This project threatens our ability to live in our own home.

A similar proposal for a waste incinerator to be built in Sydney was rejected in 2018 due to it not being in the public interest. Reasons for this include concerns about pollution control technology being insufficient to remove impact to air quality. Veolia state the incinerator won't cause any air quality issues. If this is true then why not just build it in Sydney like they originally wanted? If it's not safe for Sydney then why is it safe here?

Why build it at all? Veolia themselves have stated that they won't increase garbage volumes into the Woodlawn landfill, so what benefit will it provide? This proposal will only serve to endanger the livelihood and potentially cause harm to thousands of residents.

Beyond concerns for our livelihoods and general well being, this incinerator will be a disaster for the environment. Characterizing this incinerator a waste-to-energy plant and green energy is a complete sham. Incinerators destroy otherwise recoverable materials and emit massive amounts of CO2 while producing a pittance of energy.

My name is Ian Robert McLennan. I live at Connen Hill, 3097 Braidwood Rd Lake Bathurst, approximately 10km from the proposed Toxic Waste Incinerator at Woodlawn near Tarago. My family having bought the farm in 1975.
I am opposed to this development for many reasons like the people of Sydney who rejected moves to have one built at Eastern Creek in Sydney. I am concerned about the possibility of residue from the process which Veolia concedes there will be some, travelling away from the site via wind or water. With a possibility of negative effects to air and water quality, I am concerned for human life and for farm animals which we own for production of food and fibre. Cropping would also be under threat. Even with the current rubbish facility at Woodlawn, we are impacted by the stench from the facility and try as they might Veolia can’t stop the smell.
Don’t risk the lives of millions of people. Stop the proposed Tarago incinerator.