Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's not the first time I've spoken in parliament about the outrageous proposal to build two incinerators in my community, but, unfortunately, I have to do so again because these proposals remain on foot. One of them was defeated before, but they're not taking no for an answer. The Next Generation proposal for an incinerator in my community was rejected by the Independent Planning Commission of NSW, and it is now being appealed to the Land and Environment Court. I think the House needs to be reminded of what the independent commission said about this outrageous proposal. They said, 'The human health risks cannot be appropriately managed,' and that they were 'not satisfied that the project's emissions would not impact on water quality, particularly given the proximity to residential properties'—residential properties in Western Sydney. Too many people seem to think that Western Sydney is a dumping ground for the rest of Sydney. Whether it is radioactive waste in Kemps Creek or these two incinerators, it always comes down to dumping problems in Western Sydney, which is home for so many people. The people of Minchinbury, the people of St Clair, the people of Erskine Park, the people of Horsley Park and the people of Cecil Park should not have to put up with these incinerator proposals.

I'm informed that the Land and Environment Court will hear from the public in a conciliation conference on these proceedings, and I'm using this speech to encourage concerned residents to make themselves available and make their views known to the Land and Environment Court by sending an expression of interest by email to legalservices@planning.nsw.gov.au, with 'Next Generation' as the subject heading, by 11 February. In doing so, the Land and Environment Court will be under no illusions that we are against both of these proposals. They are both bad. The first proposal is bad, and the second proposal is no better. Our area, particularly around St Clair and Erskine Park, already puts up with smells and noises from various facilities, and we do not want these two incinerators in our community. I make it very clear that the campaign to stop these will go on to the end. These incinerators will not be built if we have anything to do with it. We will campaign, we will protest and we will make sure that the companies proposing these two incinerators are under no illusions that no PR, no spin and no nice advertising campaign will convince us that our community should have to put up with these ridiculous, offensive and outrageous proposals for Western Sydney to be the dumping ground for these two incinerators.

Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further constituency statements by honourable members, the next line of business will be called upon.