An amended proposal for the Moss Vale Plastics Recycling Facility will be put on public exhibition from Thursday, October 5.
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The Beaconsfield Road project by Plasrefine Recycling is proposing construction and operation of a plastics recycling facility "with the capacity to process up to 120,000 tonnes of plastic waste per annum into usable products".
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The key amendments include: "change in haulage route and site access road; reduced water demand during operations; reduced discharge of wastewater to sewer; reduced building height; and amended stormwater strategy."
The Department of Planning and Environment says the exhibition process allows for any individual or organisation to have their say about the proposed development.
"The Department of Planning and Environment has received an amended State Significant Development application for the abovementioned project.
"The application, amendment report, and accompanying documents are on exhibition from Thursday, October 5 until Wednesday, November 1."
At the time of publishing, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces had not directed for a public hearing to be held and the Department was encouraging online submissions.
However, there is a strong cohort of Highlands residents opposed to the development, and Wingecarribee Council has also expressed its concerns.
A report was put to the ordinary meeting of the council on Wednesday, July 19, which called into question the adequacy of the Plasrefine Social Impact Assessment, and the proposed new haulage site.
It was resolved at the July meeting that Wingecarribee Council would write to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment [DPE] to express concerns about the Plasrefine Response to Submissions [RTS] Report.
The amended proposal also follows the series of tense community briefings, held by Plasrefine Recycling in June, to sell the the project to concerned residents.
The information gathered at the community briefings was to be documented in the amendment report, going on public exhibition on Thursday.
The petition, started by the Moss Vale Matters community group, claims the proposed project has far reaching impacts for the Highlands community, and the local environment.
"It's being proposed to take 120,000 tonne per year of dirty plastic waste from Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong, and processed into flakes and pellets for export, and reprocessed plastic products like pallets, buckets and bins, making it the largest facility of its kind in Australia," the website reads.
Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman has been calling for a change of location since 2021.
At the community briefings, held earlier this year, Ms Tuckerman said GHD [the engineering, architecture and construction services group engaged by Plasrefine] had made claims that she "refused to engage",
"I have no doubt that they were soliciting my support, which I refuse to give," Ms Tuckerman said.
"GHD also claimed that I have stated in Parliament inaccuracies surrounding the use of Waite Street, where their own traffic study mentioned Waite Street 48 times.
"While the owner of the land was understanding of the feedback I sympathise with the community after witnessing the detached presentation of GHD 'engagement' tempered with an air of arrogance and lack of empathy," she said.
At that time the Plasrefine proposal was #nottherightsite, according to Ms Tuckerman, who said she would continue to support and advocate for the community.
"The facility itself is not the source of discontent for myself and those I represent. The location of the proposal is within approximately 250 metres of homes and residential dwellings on Beaconsfield Road," she said.
"The public exhibition will provide a further opportunity for the community to provide comment on the amended application."
The Department encourages online submissions. To have your say search for the project at planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects.
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