Liverpool Council wants local residents to back its appeal against the approval of the Moorebank Recycling facility in the Land and Environment Court.
Liverpool councillors unanimously voted to appeal the decision back in September, just weeks after the NSW Planning and Assessment Commission gave the green light to the recycling plant application.
Consent was given subject to certain conditions, but Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun said these bandaid solutions – such as building earth mounds to offset noise impacts – would do nothing to alter council’s view that the plant’s approval is the “worst possible outcome for the Liverpool community’’.
“Short sighted, narrow minded, call it what you will but the decision to approve this dirty, dusty concrete complex makes no economic, environmental or social sense,” he said.
“Both council and the community will do everything possible to stop it. We are still shocked that it has been approved.
“We want the community to know that council is fighting hard in court for a better outcome.”
Cr Mannoun said he was perplexed at how an independent arbitrator such as the PAC could believe approving this development was in the best interest of the community.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“It will wreak havoc for families who have bought new homes in the Georges Fair residential estate and it will also threaten council’s vision for future environmental and recreational development along the banks of the beautiful Georges River,’’ he said.[/social_quote]
“Council is not about to bow down to a panel of independent arbitrators tasked with the responsibility of considering the best interests of the community.”
“We will make our voice heard loud and clear in the Land and Environment Court and we are asking the community to get behind us.”
The appeal process to overturn the PAC’s decision has commenced and Liverpool Council will go live with a new public consultation period on Liverpool Listens. The consultation period start from 9am today (November 19) and end on January 27 next year.
“This will give the community another opportunity to have their say and let the court know what they think about this proposal.
“Remember, we are talking about a plant which will choke our region’s roads with trucks.
“Large, construction sized vehicles will be hauling thousands of tons of waste concrete to a plant, which when operational, will be crushing concrete from the moment residents wake up in the morning until they go to bed at night.”
Liverpool Council will argue that the approval of the plant has significant conflicts with the current and future land uses it has planned for the area, including a $44 million dollar marina planned along the Georges River.
“The plant will be built between a proposed $44 million marina and 2000 new family homes at Georges Fair,” he said.
“The PAC chose to overlook the issues we raised – excessive noise, dust, pollution, impacts on the environment and incompatibility with surrounding uses.
“We suggested a range of alternative sites but these recommendations were also ignored,” he said.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“It’s obvious to anyone who goes down to visit the site how much of a bad decision this is.”[/social_quote]
Council received more than 1350 objections from the Liverpool community during its initial public exhibition period.
♦ From today, residents will have another chance to have their say against this proposal. They can do so by visiting the council’s Moorebank Recyclers website here.
