In short:
Hundreds of Moss Vale residents have gathered as a developer appeals the rejection of a proposed plastics recycling factory.
asserted
developer → gather → factory
The court heard emotional accounts of how six years of uncertainty has affected local families.
asserted
years → hear → families
The hearing will continue for another nine days, with council offering live stream access at the Moss Vale Civic Centre from Tuesday.
asserted
council → continue → Tuesday
A mother described fearing for her children's health, a doctor recounted the psychological toll on families, and a retiree told of plans for a quieter life put on hold.
They were among the eight residents who addressed the NSW Land and Environment Court at Moss Vale on Monday, as hundreds gathered for the opening of an appeal hearing into a proposed plastics recycling factory.
asserted
hundreds → describe → factory
Developer Repoly is appealing the Independent Planning Commission's decision to reject the project last year.
asserted
Repoly → appeal → project
The proposed factory would process up to 120,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste a year at a site on Beaconsfield Road.
asserted
factory → propose → Road
Six years of uncertainty
For Jean McKern, who lives immediately beside the proposed site, the dispute has overshadowed what she hoped would be peaceful retirement years.
asserted
she → live → site
Now in her late 80s, she told the court she was a healthy, active 83-year-old when the proposal first emerged in 2020.
asserted
proposal → tell → 2020
She described disrupted sleep, mounting stress and health problems she believes have been exacerbated by the uncertainty.
asserted
she → describe → uncertainty
Ms McKern became emotional as she described fears about noise, lighting, pollution and fire risks, saying she could be forced to leave the home where she has lived for 30 years.
uncertain
she → become → years
Another neighbouring resident, Graham Horden, said he and his wife had downsized in retirement, hoping to restore native vegetation on their property and spend time with their grandchildren.
asserted
he → say → grandchildren
"From a feeling of justified satisfaction in our retirement years, we have regressed to a situation of prolonged stress and anxiety," he told the court.
asserted
he → regress → court
He said the uncertainty had also raised concerns about their financial position as self-funded retirees.
asserted
uncertainty → say → retirees
Families living in 'suspended animation'
Moss Vale mother Natalie Swainston described watching her two young sons play cricket at nearby Lackey Park on Saturday and worrying about potential pollution if the factory were operating less than a kilometre away.
asserted
factory → live → pollution
Her children had previously attended a childcare centre about 300 metres from the proposed development, where they spent much of their days playing outdoors.
asserted
they → attend → days
"It's quite hard to explain what it's like to live in suspended animation for this long," she told the court.
"
asserted
she → explain → court
You put your life on hold and wait for the next amendment, the next deadline, the next hearing.
asserted
You → put → amendment
You think you can finally rest and then there's an appeal."
asserted
you → think → ?
Palliative care doctor Jacqueline Duc, speaking on behalf of local health professionals and Doctors for the Environment Australia, raised concerns about potential health risks and the psychological toll of the prolonged dispute.
asserted
Duc → speak → dispute
She urged the court to adopt a precautionary approach.
asserted
She → urge → approach
"Just because we can doesn't mean that we should,"she said.
asserted
we → mean → ?
Dr Duc also shared a deeply personal account of how the dispute had affected her own family.
asserted
dispute → share → family
She told the court her daughter's eighth birthday wish was for the factory proposal to go away.
asserted
proposal → tell → court
Her daughter is now 11, and the dispute continues.
asserted
dispute → continue → ?
Dispute over factory's location
The Independent Planning Commission refused approval in January 2025, citing concerns including fire risks and the suitability of the location.
asserted
Commission → refuse → location
Repoly has since amended its plans, including moving one building further from neighbouring homes and proposing to transport process wastewater offsite for disposal.
Wingecarribee Shire Council maintains the location remains unsuitable.
Resident Gabby Kent questioned whether the development was permissible under planning laws, arguing that an overly broad definition of resource recovery could create an "absurd continuum", where manufacturers using recycled materials could also be classified as waste processing facilities.
She also raised concerns about potential microplastic pollution and fire risks, particularly given the proximity of homes, businesses and the Garvan Institute's Australian BioResources facility.
uncertain
She → amend → homes
Developer defends proposal
asserted
Developer → defend → proposal
Repoly declined an interview but said the project would help Australia recycle more plastic waste, produce useful materials and support local manufacturing.
asserted
Australia → decline → manufacturing
The company maintains the facility can meet environmental requirements and is seeking approval through the court.
asserted
facility → maintain → court
The hearing will continue for another nine days, with council offering live stream access at the Moss Vale Civic Centre for residents unable to watch online.
asserted
council → continue → residents
The Aporia