NSW inquiry urges rejection of regional waste incinerator plans

Proposals to burn Sydney's rubbish at Parkes and Tarago near Goulburn should be rejected, a NSW parliamentary committee has recommended. It also called for a moratorium on waste-to-energy proposals across the state.

The inquiry made 22 recommendations following seven hearings during 2025 and 2026. More than 1,400 submissions were received, most opposing development of the technology. The NSW government must respond by 20 January 2027.

Committee chair and Nationals MLC Nichole Overall said the communities were unsuitable locations for the facilities, citing a lack of acceptance among residents, local councils and Aboriginal land councils. She said moving metropolitan rubbish to regional sites would add costs, emissions and other impacts.

The proposed A$1 billion Parkes Energy Recovery facility would process 732,000 tonnes of household and industrial waste annually if approved. Almost all would arrive from Sydney by rail. Veolia's separate proposal at its existing Woodlawn site near Tarago would handle 380,000 tonnes of Sydney's non-recyclable waste each year.

Existing Greater Sydney landfill capacity is expected to be exhausted by 2030. Incinerator advocates have put forward the technology as a possible response.

The committee sought an independent review of the four NSW precincts where the technology is permitted: Tomago, West Lithgow, Parkes and southern Goulburn-Mulwaree. It also recommended minimum separation distances between facilities and food production, schools and hospitals.

Labor MLC and committee member Emily Suvaal challenged some recommendations, saying a moratorium was not possible without viable alternatives. She said strong standards and guidelines could allow the technology to operate safely.