Alliance forms to voice concerns, offers public forum

An Energy from Waste plant has been proposed for Parkes and a group of professionals, farmers and business owners have formed an alliance to make sure the community hears both sides of the issue. They're called the Parkes Clean Future Alliance (PCFA) and they are actively raising concerns and researching the impacts and risks such a facility could have on human health, the environment and Parkes' food and agriculture industries. Plans to burn 600,000 tonnes of Sydney's rubbish each year in a facility in Parkes to produce electricity, heat and steam were officially released in March by appointed developers Parkes Energy Recovery. The development is proposed to be located within the NSW Government's Parkes Special Activation Precinct (SAP), west of the township. "We formed mainly from the community being in such shock," PCFA committee member Ben Stead said. "It was a shock of the magnitude of this facility and the impact it was going to have on a town," added a fellow member who requested to remain anonymous. Ben reached out to everyone he could find when the proposal was announced, including getting in touch with people who were affected by similar projects in Narromine, Lithgow and Sydney, and environmental health activist of more than 25 years Jane Bremmer. A coffee shop meeting was organised among those interested in forming a group. "Then we needed people. We also formed an association," Ben said. At the same time, a petition urging Parkes Shire Council to reject the proposal began circling the community. Ben said it's close to 4000 signatures now, the total online and on paper. PCFA's committee of 12 people includes environmental scientists, engineers, accountants, multigenerational farmers, business owners, teachers, a town planner and some with law backgrounds. They're also receiving assistance from a bio chemist, chemical engineer and other scientists, and some in law enforcement. The group's social media following is much bigger - the Parkes Clean Future Alliance Facebook page now has 2200 members. PCFA said they're also shocked at what they described as an "extreme lack of communication" regarding the proposal prior to the March 24 announcement. PCFA believes very little had been done in the years leading up to this to inform and engage with the Parkes community, when the SAP was being established, and that many people weren't aware an Energy from Waste facility was being considered for Parkes. While others who knew about it previously, understood the precinct was going to be an environmental park. The group conducted a survey not long after the announcement and 79 per cent of its 420 participants (332 people) said they weren't aware the facility was proposed for Parkes. Twenty-one per cent (88) said they did. When the masterplan for the SAP was released and later finalised in June 2020, the SAP was divided into six sub precincts - one of them being a Resource Recovery and Recycling sub precinct. An Energy from Waste facility was not listed in its description that reads "this area is ideally placed to receive and re-process waste and resources, championing circular economy principles". PCFA's Facebook group acts as a virtual community town hall, they said, which is their goal - a public forum for the Parkes community to share their research, questions and concerns regarding Energy from Waste incineration. The committee itself is spending weeks researching and referencing information before they put it out to the community. "We want to approach this very professionally, we don't want misinformation, everything is thoroughly checked," Ben said. "If it's not substantiated it comes down - we want to keep it accurate and maintain credibility." "We don't want to change people's view, we want to give them a balanced view so they can make their own decision," the committee member said. "It's not fair when it has such a huge impact on the town. "This should have been put to the town since 2019." The group said they would like to see more representation from Council. They acknowledged the proposed Energy from Waste incinerator is a NSW Government project and that Council does not have the final say in its approval. "However this does not mean they are powerless," Ben said. PCFA wants to work with Council, know where councillors stand on the proposal and are asking them to "stand beside them". The committee organised a closed meeting between Council and Ms Bremmer, and an online event with the community hosted by Mike Whitney, who has joined the fight against waste incinerators. Also in the works is a town information night with independent scientists, doctors and other groups. "We don't want to be against Council, we don't want to do this but we're doing what Council should have already done as our elected representatives," committee member Jeromie Fitzpatrick said. "We are getting an overwhelming number of people telling us they're going to leave town if this goes ahead," said the committee member. "We all love Parkes and we don't want to leave. .. But people just aren't going to risk it." PCFA's survey revealed that 63 farmers, 43 health and aged care workers and 39 educators indicated they would move away from Parkes as a precautionary measure. "We have a dysfunctional healthcare system in Parkes as it is," another member Erik Lensson said. "This is putting people in genuine distress," the committee member said.