Nine councils in Melbourne’s southeast have joined together in a Waste Supply Agreement that will see 95 per cent less waste from their areas go into landfill.
The councils have entered into an agreement with Maryvale Energy from Waste (EfW) Project Co (a consortium between Veolia Australia and New Zealand, Opal Australian Paper and Masdar Tribe Australia) to send waste to an advanced waste processing facility in Maryvale in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.
The nine councils taking part in the project have set up a company called South East Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing (SEMAWP) to work together to deliver an advanced waste processing alternative to landfill.
The councils are:
- Bayside City Council
- Cardinia Shire Council
- City of Casey
- City of Greater Dandenong
- Frankston City Council
- Kingston City Council
- Knox City Council
- Whitehorse City Council
- Yarra Ranges Shire Council
Announcing the agreement, SEMAWP’s Board Chair and Bayside City Council CEO, Mick Cummins, said that by diverting SEMAWP Councils’ residual waste from landfill it will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 270,000t annually, equivalent to removing 50,000 cars from the road per year.
“This is a great outcome for residents of the nine councils involved in this project that began in 2019,” Mr Cummins said.
“This solution provides an alternative to landfill that makes better use of household waste than burying it in the ground. Items that can’t be reused or recycled will be put to better use.
“It is expected to create more than 500 temporary jobs during construction and an estimated 455 permanent operating jobs, including direct and flow-on, over the coming years. So, it reduces emissions, creates investment and employment, and preserves land for better uses than landfill.”
City of Greater Dandenong Mayor, Lana Formoso, said that local residents and communities across the southeast region would benefit from the agreement.
“By working together, we will reduce landfill, slash greenhouse gas emissions, create a valuable energy source and provide employment across the region,” Mayor Formoso said.
With household waste in Melbourne’s southeast projected to increase by 40 per cent by 2046, alternatives to landfill need to be found. The last remaining landfill in the southeast of Melbourne will close in the next few years. This project will ensure that residents’ waste is used to create a valuable energy source for an important industry in the Latrobe Valley.
The Maryvale EfW facility will be adjacent to the existing Opal Australian Paper Maryvale Mill, and the paper mill will utilise the combined heat and power from the EfW facility. Councils will deliver waste to a transfer station planned for construction in Melbourne’s southeast, where it will be prepared for bulk transfer to Maryvale EfW. Energy from waste facilities is being used safely and reliably in metropolitan areas around the world, including in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and North America.
Modern, best-practice advanced waste processing facilities have strong safety track records and are designed to meet strict emissions standards, with real-time emission monitoring to make sure they meet air quality standards.
In Victoria, they are regulated by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria and Recycling Victoria such that EfW facilities must be appropriately located, constructed and operated according to strict regulations that minimise risks to the environment and people.
The contract term for the Waste Supply Agreement will be for 25 years. Mr Cummins said this would provide cost certainty and waste processing security to participating councils.
Image: venusvi/shutterstock.com
