Cleanaway has officially withdrawn its application for a development licence for the proposed Waste-to-Energy (WtE) facility at 510 Summerhill Road in Wollert. This decision came just days before the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) was set to announce its ruling on the project on August 30, 2023.
The withdrawal appears to be part of Cleanaway’s strategy to submit a revised application that aligns with a recent decision by Recycling Victoria, which granted the company a significantly higher waste burning cap of up to 760,000 tonnes annually. This new cap is double the original limit of 380,000 tonnes, and it is projected to account for approximately 13 percent of Victoria’s landfill-bound waste. In addition, it is expected to generate enough electricity to power 140,000 homes and businesses.
Community members, including Cath Rousse from the No Northern Incinerator group, expressed frustration over the EPA’s failure to inform individuals who submitted feedback regarding the WtE facility. Many residents gathered at a community meeting at the Whittlesea council offices on August 31, unaware that Cleanaway had already withdrawn its application. Whittlesea mayor Martin Taylor confirmed that the council had voted to reject Cleanaway’s planning application and development licence in December 2024.
Councillor Lawrie Cox, speaking personally, emphasized that establishing a commercial incinerator within close proximity to residential areas is no longer acceptable. “It was some 40 years ago we recognized burning off in the backyard was a problem and we banned property incinerators,” he stated. “The community in Wollert and Epping North have been very vocal in their opposition to this planned incinerator.”
Local resident Julie Ahmad, who manages the No Northern Incinerator Facebook group, criticized the project’s lack of transparency. “No one understood what this incinerator meant. There’s been a complete lack of consultation,” she remarked. “Cleanaway says they’ve consulted, but the only way people have heard about it is through our Facebook group.”
Before withdrawing its application, Cleanaway asserted that community engagement initiatives had been in place since the MERC project was first announced in 2021. The company claimed to have conducted multiple community engagement opportunities throughout 2023 and 2024, including in-person and online sessions.
The proposed Melbourne Energy Resource Recovery Centre (MERC) is one of several WtE facilities under review as part of a parliamentary inquiry initiated by MP Rachel Payne. The inquiry, which received backing from the Victorian upper house on August 26, will investigate various aspects of WtE projects, including consultation processes, siting near residential areas and schools, and the long-term social, economic, and environmental implications.
Payne raised concerns about the rapid proliferation of WtE facilities in Victoria, questioning whether they truly offer a sustainable solution to waste management. “These are not backyard incinerators of the past; they will still be burning through millions of tonnes of waste,” she explained. “We must ask whether this is the future we want—one that risks polluting our people and planet?”
As residents from Wollert, along with campaigners from Sunbury, Lara, and Lynbrook, gathered at Parliament House to support the inquiry motion, the future of Cleanaway’s proposed facility remains uncertain. The community’s strong opposition is expected to play a significant role in shaping the ongoing discussions surrounding waste management strategies in Victoria.
