THE life of the Lucas Heights waste centre is set to be extended by 12 years through the over-topping of the present landfill area to a height of up to seven metres.
Under a proposed voluntary planning agreement between Sutherland Shire Council and private operator SITA Australia, the site would then be rehabilitated into "rolling hills" parkland (see above) within two years of operations ceasing in 2037.
In return for its support, the council would be given $100 million over 15 years by SITA to fund "new community projects and facilities".
The expansion plans include the relocation of the garden organics recycling operation to the western boundary on Heathcote Road, further away from homes, and the construction of a $90 million processing plant to divert up to 70 per cent of general waste, mainly from household red bins, from landfill.
Both facilities would be enclosed to reduce the odours.
SITA has lodged the proposal with the Department of Planning and Environment and begun community consultation.
Under an agreement reached in the late 1990s between the council and the government-owned Waste Service NSW, the facility was due to close in 2025.
It was then to have then been rehabilitated like the adjoining original tip site, now The Ridge golf course and sports complex.
SITA took over the centre, called the Lucas Heights Resource Recovery Park, in 2011 and has been working with the council for the past year on the revised plan.
Under the proposal, the landfill airspace capacity would take an extra 8.3 million tonnes of waste.
SITA project director Phil Carbins said Lucas Heights would be the only putrescible waste (organic matter which can decompose) landfill left in Sydney after the closure of Belrose this month and Eastern Creek in 2017.
‘‘We are not expanding the landfill outside of the existing footprint,’’ he said.
‘‘The horizontal extent of the site has been reached, so we are now looking to over-top and change the final profile.
‘‘The maximum height we will be going up is seven metres, but it will be an undulating profile — rolling hills, across the whole of the precinct.
‘‘It will also be landscaped to blend in with the environment which it is in.
‘‘This will be open parkland and 25 hectares larger than what was originally planned.’’
Mr Carbins said the first $10 million instalment of the $100 million to be given by SITA to the council would be paid soon after approval had been given by all relevant authorities.
‘‘The balance will be paid over 14 years,’’ he said.
Mr Carbins said proposed changes to garden organics operations and the planned $90 million advanced resource recovery technology facility would help reduce odours, although the number of complaints had been declining.
He said the new, high-tech recycling facility was subject to councils agreeing to long-term contracts.
‘‘It will basically take waste from the household ‘red bin’ and sort all the organics out of it to create a compost product that can be used on mine site rehabilitation,’’ he said. Another part could be used to power cement kilns.
Mr Carbins denied the expansion would lead to traffic problems, saying vehicles associated with the site made up only 1.3 per cent on local roads, and this was not expected to increase, due mainly to the use of bigger trucks.
IN A NUTSHELL - THE PLAN
The life of the waste centre to be extended from 2025 to 2037.
Landfill disposal to rise from 575,000 tonnes a year to 850,000 tonnes a year.
Garden organics recycling to rise from 50,000 tonnes a year to 80,000 tonnes a year in an enclosed facility on the western boundary.
A $90 million resource recovery centre to handle 200,000 tonnes of general waste a year, mainly from household red bins, but dependent on support from councils.
Sutherland Shire Council to receive $100 million over 15 years for ‘‘new community projects and facilities’’.
COUNCIL’S VIEW
Sutherland Shire mayor Kent Johns said council staff had worked with SITA to ensure all environmental and social aspects of an expanded facility were property addressed.
Councillor Johns said the council’s previous agreement had secured ‘‘a range of significant benefits for the community to compensate for the possible impacts’’.
The original agreement had also specified the council must be a joint applicant in any future development.
Various planning documents had progressed to the stage where they were ‘‘generally acceptable’’ to the council, and would go on exhibition to allow community comment, he said.
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