In short:
A NSW parliamentary inquiry into waste-to-energy facilities has handed down 22 recommendations.
asserted
inquiry → hand → recommendations
The committee advised that two incinerator proposals in Parkes and Goulburn should be halted pending an independent review.
asserted
proposals → advise → review
The NSW government has until early 2027 to respond to the recommendations.
asserted
government → have → recommendations
A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into energy-from-waste facilities has recommended that the state government reject plans to burn Sydney's waste in regional communities.
asserted
government → recommend → communities
The select committee on proposed energy-from-waste technology made 22 recommendations after holding seven hearings across 2025 and 2026.
asserted
committee → propose → 2025
The committee recommended that development applications to build incinerators in Tarago near Goulburn and Parkes be knocked back.
asserted
applications → recommend → Goulburn
The chair of the committee, Nationals MLC Nichole Overall, today told NSW parliament it was clear the technology was not appropriate to be built in the communities.
asserted
technology → tell → communities
"Given the absence of numerous critical elements, significantly the lack of social licence and community acceptance including from local councils and Aboriginal land councils," Ms Overall said.
asserted
Overall → give → councils
Environment Protection Authority regulations limit the construction of energy-from-waste facilities to four locations in NSW: Tomago, West Lithgow, Parkes, and the southern Goulburn-Mulwaree precinct.
asserted
regulations → limit → NSW
"The government, proponents and advocates state that these facilities are safe wherever they are located," Ms Overall said.
asserted
Overall → state → ?
"Yet they are restricted solely to regional areas whether they like it or not."
Critical waste problem
Existing landfill capacity in Greater Sydney is expected to be reached by 2030, with advocates for incinerators highlighting the technology as a potential solution.
The scoping report for the proposed $1 billion Parkes Energy Recovery facility in the New South Wales central west was published by the NSW Planning Department on Tuesday.
asserted
report → restrict → Tuesday
If approved, the site would have capacity to process 732,000 tonnes of waste per annum by thermally treating household and industrial rubbish.
asserted
site → approve → rubbish
Almost all of the waste processed would be transferred by rail from Sydney to the site, before being converted into up to 80 megawatts of base load power daily.
Ms Overall said the committee heard from residents in opposition to the development throughout the hearings.
"Waste is best managed as close to its source as possible," she said.
asserted
she → process → source
"Transporting hundreds of thousands of tonnes of metropolitan waste to regional facilities, hundreds of kilometres away adds to cost, emissions and impacts."
Supported by locals
Parkes resident Erik Lensson welcomed the committee's recommendation for the state government to reject the incinerator proposal.
"It is entirely unsuitable," he said.
asserted
he → transport → proposal
"Burning red bin waste from the big city and throwing it over the fence to the countryside is just a total cop out."
Veolia is proposing to process 380,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from Sydney each year at the company's existing Woodlawn site near Tarago.
If approved, it would generate enough electricity for up to 40,000 homes.
asserted
it → burn → homes
The proposal is before the NSW Planning Department and is awaiting a response to submissions from Veolia.
asserted
proposal → await → Veolia
Veolia and Parkes Energy Recovery have been contacted for comment.
asserted
Veolia → contact → comment
The committee received more than 1,400 submissions, the majority in opposition to the technology's development.
asserted
committee → receive → development
Recommendations handed down
The committee also recommended a moratorium on all waste-to-energy proposals and an independent review of the four precincts designated for the technology.
asserted
committee → hand → technology
The report also recommended that a minimum buffer be maintained from proposed waste-to-energy facilities to ensure "safe and appropriate distances from food production, schools and hospitals".
asserted
buffer → recommend → production
Ms Overall said the suitability of incinerators needed to be examined further.
asserted
suitability → say → incinerators
"Those supportive of the proposed thermal waste-to-energy technology provided information and examples of its safe operation … and outlined commitments to stringent best practice regulation," she said.
"
asserted
she → propose → regulation
The committee is concerned with the expectation for proponents to be the ones ultimately responsible for engagement, dissemination or information and consultation.
asserted
proponents → concern → engagement
Committee member and Labor MLC, Emily Suvaal, criticised some of the recommendations handed down.
asserted
Suvaal → criticise → recommendations
"A moratorium on energy-from-waste is not possible without viable alternatives in place,"she said.
asserted
moratorium → say → place,"she
"The technology can be safe when managed with strong guidelines and standards, as it is in NSW and globally."
asserted
it → manage → NSW
The NSW government is required to respond to the committee's findings by January 20, 2027.
asserted
government → require → January
NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe was contacted for comment.
asserted
Sharpe → contact → comment
The Aporia