THE City of Wanneroo is holding another community engagement session about the proposed Neerabup resource recovery precinct tomorrow Wednesday, December 3.
Earlier this week Yanchep News Online reported that the city needs to obtain from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) a works approval to build the proposed precinct as well as an operating licence for its ongoing operation.
The city has already applied to DWER for a clearing permit for works at Lot 600 and 570 Wattle Avenue with that application already under assessment.
A DWER spokeswoman said the works approvals required included approvals for facilities such as a waste-to-energy plant, material recovery facilities, food organics-garden organics (FOGO) processing and a waste transfer station.
“The City of Wanneroo has also applied for a works approval for stage 1 of the Neerabup resource recovery precinct,’’ she said.
“The application is for category 57 (used tyre storage) and category 62 (solid waste depot), in accordance with schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 1987’’
Yanchep News Online asked the City of Wanneroo what needed to be achieved before the city could complete (and advertise) a business plan for stage 2.
In response the city said as outlined in the master plan, planning for stage 2 would depend on industry interest in delivering a waste-to-energy facility.
But along with saying in collaboration with the city, the ranking of waste infrastructure was determined to help guide development of the master plan the Neerabup resource recovery master plan final report includes a table showing waste-to-energy (WtE) was given the highest priority.
Table 6-1: Waste infrastructure prioritisation – in collaboration with the city, the ranking of waste infrastructure was determined to help guide development of the master plan.The report said WtE was a sustainable waste management process involving the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials (residual waste) into usable forms of energy, such as electricity, heat, or fuel.
“This process not only reduces the volume of waste destined for landfill but also provides a renewable source of energy,’’ the Neerabup RRP final report said.
“Incineration has been chosen as the most appropriate WtE technology for this project over other methods due to its availability, proven track record and cost-effectiveness.
“Additionally, incineration plants can handle large volumes of waste efficiently, making them suitable for high waste generation areas.
“The existing infrastructure and expertise ensure effective management and maintenance, reducing operational risks.
“While incineration handles residual waste effectively, it is essential to prioritise waste avoidance and reduction strategies to decrease the overall waste volume, enhancing efficiency and aligning with sustainability goals.
“(But) while incineration helps reduce the volume of waste and provides a source of renewable energy, it also produces emissions and residues that need to be carefully managed to minimise environmental and health impacts.’’
The report said advanced air pollution control technologies played a crucial role in ensuring that emissions from incineration plants met stringent regulatory EU standards, which have been adopted in Australia.
Via a Have your say notice the city said following the questions and feedback they were receiving during the community engagement period, an additional community session was planned for December 3.
The notice said the session would include a presentation on the key topics raised so far and an opportunity for attendees to discuss priority community questions.
The session starting at 6pm will be held at Wanneroo Civic Centre, 23 Dundebar Rd, Wanneroo.
A summary of the community questions received so far and the city’s responses are available in the document library on the Your Say page.
DWER: Stage 1 Neerabup RRP works approval decision by early 2026
