Parkes Shire Council is lodging a formal submission to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Energy from Waste (EfW), calling for immediate referral of the proposed Parkes EfW facility to the Independent Planning Commission (IPC), updated scientific review, and stronger government engagement.
The proposed EfW facility in Parkes represents a critical moment for our region, one that demands immediate and decisive leadership from all levels of government.
If EfW technology is safe, then the NSW Government must demonstrate that safety transparently and scientifically. If it is not safe, it must be prohibited.
In the absence of clarity, Council has taken a principled and proactive stance, preparing for all outcomes, protecting our community, and ensuring that if the project does proceed, it does so under the highest standards of safety, integrity, and fairness.
The submission is not an endorsement of the project, it is a precautionary framework designed to uphold transparency, safety, and community benefit.
Mayor Westcott acknowledged the strong and vocal opposition within the community and reiterated that Council shares many of the concerns raised.
“Council has heard the community loud and clear. We should not be passive hosts in the state’s waste strategy – we are partners, and we expect to be treated as such.
“Council would not be acting responsibly if it failed to prepare for the possibility that this project proceeds.
“Our submission reflects both the community’s concerns and the need to ensure safeguards, transparency, and benefits are in place should the development move forward,” said Mayor Neil Westcott.
Council’s submission outlines 34 recommendations, including immediate referral of the proposal to the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) to ensure an independent and transparent assessment process, separate from the NSW Government. An urgent update of the Chief Scientist and Engineers Report on EfW, which is now two (2) years overdue, particularly emission standards. Immediate establishment of a whole-of-government taskforce to lead community engagement and oversight and a requirement that the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) explicitly incorporate key matters raised in Council’s submission, including agricultural risk, cumulative impacts, community engagement protocols, and binding benefit agreements.
Council has made its position on independent oversight unequivocally clear, if the Parkes EfW proposal is not referred to the IPC prior to public exhibition, Council will lodge a formal objection. Such an objection as Council understands, triggers a mandatory legislative referral to the IPC, reinforcing the importance of transparency and impartiality in the assessment process.
Council has also formally requested that the Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage, the Hon. Penny SharpMLC refer the Parkes EfW proposal to the Chief Scientist and Engineer for immediate review, not only of the 2020 Energy fromWaste report, which was due for reassessment within three years and is now overdue but also of the growing body of community circulated reports raising concerns about adverse health and environmental impactsCouncil believes this review must specifically assess the safety of the proposed facility near sensitive receptors such as school and agricultural land.
Council has also requested that a public hearing of the parliamentary inquiry be held in Parkes to ensure local voices are heard directly. “This is about our future. Our community deserves clarity, respect, and a seat at the table,” the Mayor concluded.