Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning Steven Miles has confirmed the call-in of a recycling park proposed by Wanless at Ebenezer, near Ipswich.
The decision to call in the project confirms that there are number of state interests, including economic, environmental and regional planning interests. It will also allow proper consideration of the land requirements for the Australian Government’s inland rail project which should be known around mid 2022.
Miles said the call-in would allow the state to do an assessment of the project including its ability to support Queensland’s waste reduction and recycling objectives.
“The call-in enables state agencies to do a thorough evaluation of the project,” Miles said. “The call-in requires Wanless to demonstrate its facility will support the state’s goal of reducing waste to landfill and increasing reuse and recycling and that the project can only be economically viable if all elements of the facility are approved.
“The call-in will allow the project to be considered in light of the Council of Mayors SEQ Waste Management Plan 2021, finalisation of the review of the waste levy, and the temporary local planning instrument.”
On its website, Wanless states its vision is to transform the degraded site into a productive precinct that generates employment and training opportunities for the local community. It is a model tried and tested at Sydney Recycling Park , where up to 80 per cent of waste is diverted from landfill.
With recycling and resource recovery and reuse at the forefront of its operations, Wanless Recycling Park will accept waste from businesses and areas where it knows it can recover the most recyclable material including household, commercial and industrial, and demolition and construction waste. The integrated facility will also include a landfill element for residual waste.
In September 2021, Ipswich City Council rejected the landfill components of the proposal. The Planning Minister gave notice of a proposed call-in for the park in November, 2021.
For more information, visit: https://planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/planning-framework/development-assessment/ministerial-call-ins
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