Talking points
- The South East Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing (SEMAWP) deal involves 14 councils across Melbourne’s south east.
- The councils created the company to process household waste.
- Eight councils have backed out of the deal or put a decision on hold because of concerns about entering a 25 year contract which involves burning household rubbish.
A plan to combine rubbish disposal across 14 Melbourne councils is on the brink of implosion after a rift emerged, amid claims the deal would lock councils into producing a set amount of rubbish for the next 25 years, despite encouraging households to reduce waste.
The South East Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing (SEMAWP) deal involves 14 councils across Melbourne’s south-east which joined together to set up a company to process their household rubbish. However the deal could be up in smoke after eight councils rejected or put it on hold.
Glen Eira Mayor Jim McGee said entering into a long-term contract that required councils to guarantee the production of a certain amount of waste “seemed hypocritical” when councils were asking householders to reduce waste going to landfill.
A Melbourne recycling plant: a waste deal between 14 councils is on shaky ground. Credit: Eddie Jim
“It seemed to be a contradiction in the message we were giving our community talking about diverting from landfill but entering a 25-year contract with a minimum amount of rubbish we had to provide,” he said. “It just didn’t stack up in the end.”
However, Cr McGee said a “Plan B” was needed to divert rubbish from landfill on the back of councils pulling out of the deal.
“The tips out the Eastern side of town are closing they are only four years from closing and all that rubbish will have to go across the West Gate,” he said. “We are taking this responsibility on when the state government is reaping hundreds of millions of dollars from the waste levy and doing nothing with it.”
At the time of the deal’s creation, the government’s Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group said the new facilities would attract “multi-million dollar investment” and create up to 400 jobs during construction and 100 permanent jobs.
However, eight councils have either rejected the deal outright or put a decision on hold, placing the waste deal in jeopardy.
Boroondara, Glen Eira, Manningham and Monash councils have all rejected the deal.
The Age understands Maroondah and Stonnington have also pulled out however the councils did not respond to a request for comment.
Glen Eira mayor Jim Magee has led the council to pull out of the waste deal. Credit:Wayne Taylor
Frankston has delayed its decision and last week the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council became the latest council to express concerns about the deal after it voted to refuse to commit to the deal and defer any further decision for at least three months.
Bayside, Cardinia, Casey, Kingston, Knox, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges have signed up to the deal.
Port Phillip council has also rejected the deal however it was never part of the procurement process.
Chair of the SEMAWP Mick Cummins said procurement was based on volumes of household rubbish rather than a number of participating councils.
“This process is confidential due to probity and commercial in confidence considerations,” he said. “This is a complex multi-stage procurement, and we anticipated some councils would not proceed through to award the tender.”
A spokesman for the government’s Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group said councils in Melbourne’s south-east had been exploring an alternative to landfill since 2017.
“Advanced waste processing provides an alternative to landfill that makes better use of household rubbish than burying it in the ground,” the spokesman said.
The planned advanced waste processing deal is controversial as it involves plans for some waste to be incinerated through a “waste-to-energy” plant that will burn waste at high temperatures to convert it into electricity.
The Greens have previously tried to introduce a ban on waste incineration but it was rejected by the state government.
Deputy leader of the Victorian Greens Ellen Sandell said it was great to see so many councils backing away from “terrible proposals” that would lock them into burning waste for decades to come.
“I just wish the Victorian government would stop supporting these awful plans to burn rubbish, recyclables and plastic, creating health problems as well as environmental issues,” she said. “Waste incinerators generate thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste annually, something no community should have to accept in their backyard.”
Mr Cummins said advanced waste processing facilities were being used safely and reliably around the world.
“Modern, best practice facilities have strong safety track records and are designed to meet strict emissions standards,” he said. “Facilities have real-time emission monitoring and they are inspected and tested regularly to ensure safety standards are achieved.”
The government did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
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