Our Concerns

反对Lidcombe修建垃圾场修建-（中文信息）.pdf
개발제안 DA2013/0130 에 대한 반대의견 – 기존 건축물 철거 및 오가닉 쓰레기 하치장 건설 및 운영:
1 – Respond to Cumberland Council – re proposed Organic Waste Transfer Station.pdf
2 – Respond to Cumberland Council – re proposed Organic Waste Transfer Station.pdf

Our concerns include:

Traffic issues

  • 118 truck movements daily – through town and/or residential areas;
  • Timing of these movements – timeframes don’t align within the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), so more detail, corrected, should be provided.
  • This transfer station will be used for councils across the Sydney metropolitan area (listed as Inner West and Central Sydney areas, and then further implied for waste transfer across the Sydney metropolitan area), so transport and waste would be from all angles across the Lidcombe road network.

    Quality of road network
  • Roads and roundabouts will be damaged by the ongoing heavy vehicle usage of the area.
  • Maintenance would then be needed, which Council would need to pursue.
  • Rubbish on trucks could also ‘fly out’ during the transport phase. While trucks are indicated to be covered, the reality is that they are not always covered.

    Hours of operation
  • From EIS – Monday to Friday – 6.00 am to 10.00 pm; Saturday – 8.00 am to 6.00 pm; No operations will take place on Sunday and public holidays
  • Noting that the timeframes may expand pending other requirements of the business need.
  • Note that the Cumberland Development Control Plan (DCP) for Industrial zone says that timeframes are 7.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Saturday (nothing on Sunday). The proposed operational times go significantly over the DCP.

    Odour control
  • Whilst the Environmental Impact Statement and other report allegedly addresses the odour, there is no absolute assurance that odour from the site can be controlled.
  • Odours will also buffer the area when the trucks are travelling through to the site.
  • This will then impact the commercial entities of Lidcombe, as well as the residential areas.
  • ABC News article (December 2023) about the problem of smell from a similar tip in Ipswitch (Qld)
  • Sky New Australia article (December 2023) about Sydney’s Inner West Council suggesting that residents put FOGO food scraps in their freezers to stop odours in FOGO bins
  • NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) media release (March 2024) – Eastern Creek tip operator fined for offensive rotten egg gas odours (which affected local residents)

    Location
  • Whilst this is an area zoned ‘industrial’, however, it is within very close proximity – less than 100 metres to the residential area.
  • Significant public housing, affordable housing and units are almost completed construction in very close proximity. It is so inappropriate for this proposal to be within this proximity.
  • The DCP also indicates ‘The hours of operation are managed to ensure residential amenity is protected’ (item 2.12 – Operational Management). This proposed operation completely unprotects the residential amenity.
  • Extracts from the amenity of the public space open area of the Pippita Rail Trail which is intended for active use and improved access to parklands and open spaces.
  • This site is not suitable for waste transfer processing – it needs to be within a full industrial area, with major arterial roads, not town centre or suburban roads, and not within such reach of a major residential area.

    Potential Future Tip Operations
  • If it is approved, is it Cumberland City Council to monitor the operations of this business? How will they do this? It adds more strain on the Council
  • What penalties will Cumberland City Council impose on the operator re going outside the approved operations?
  • If the ‘Tip’ becomes operational, what if it is extended to become a ‘tip’ for everything (garbage, recycling, green waste, FOGO and building waste (including asbestos). How will Cumberland City Council monitor the potential expansion of this ‘tip’? This is ‘futuristic’, but could be of concern.