Greens MLC Dr Amanda Cohn, Ben Stead from Parkes Clean Future Alliance and chemical engineer Chris Hanson, support the “No More Incinerators” action group.
The Greens reiterated their call for a statewide moratorium on waste-to-energy incinerators as concerned members of the Parkes community came together for an information night hosted by the Parkes Clean Future Alliance.
Greens spokesperson for Health and for Waste Dr Amanda Cohn MLC spent the weekend in the region listening to the community and speaking at the event which drew in more than 5 per cent of the town’s population.
Dr Cohn met with PCFA representatives and local farmer Graeme Somers, who neighbours the site where the incinerator would be built. She said “It was incredible to see how engaged the Parkes community is with this issue and hear their deep concerns about this so-called energy-fromwaste incinerator.
During her speech, Dr Cohn highlighted the Public Health Association of Australia’s recommendation that food grown near an incinerator should be avoided.
The Greens introduced a bill in 2020 that would have prevented the current Parkes proposal from proceeding. However, MPs from the then government and opposition voted it down, arguing it would risk jobs and international investment and that there was no evidence the bill was necessary or appropriate.
“This is not and never was about energy production. If incineration was an effective, clean and renewable way of producing electricity the Greens would be its strongest backers – but it’s not. This proposal is because of Sydney’s waste crisis, with the Greater Sydney basin set to run out of landfill space by 2030.