November 1st, 2022

Metro Landfill for York?

For the last ten years AVRA has been coordinating the opposition to an ill conceived plan to establish a landfill site for metropolitan (Perth) waste twelve kilometres to the west of York on Allawuna Farm along the Gt Southern HW (Perth Rd).

The original proposal by SITA/SUEZ saw the light of day in 2012. The York community rallied in opposition to this mad hat proposal. The proposed site on Allawuna Farm is next to the Mundaring water catchment and part of the Wandoo National Park. After some six years of opposition on the part of the community, the York Shire Council and the JDAP, the company walked away from this landfill proposal. As planning approval was in place, the owner of the farm looked around for other interested parties. He found one in Alkina Holdings, the operators of a landfill near Toodyay. In the meantime there was a change of Government in WA and the Labor Government referred the issue to the EPA. For the last three years the company struggled to prepare reports dealing with the many questions raised by public submissions and other Government bodies. A copy of the report on the report page.

The EPA will make recommendation to the Minister for the Environment the Hon. Reece Whitby in the near future. While Government personalities have on numerous occasions stated that they support the York Community in their opposition to the landfill, now that they are in Government and are in a position to call an end to the proposal, they are reluctant to interfere in the process as this might expose them to legal action by the company. If the EPA recommends that the proposal is unsound, the Minister can call the whole issue closed and point to the EPA as the body that stopped this landfill.

If the EPA recommends that it could go ahead, no doubt with many conditions, the Minister has a dilemma on his hands. Our local member the Hon. Darren West has staked his reputation on stopping this landfill. On many occasions he has publicly stated that this landfill should not go ahead.

So, if you think that a landfill on the Perth Road is a bad idea, we ask you to support AVRA and sign up as a member and/or make a donation. Details on how to do this on our membership page.

If you would like to become involved in this issue we invite you to contact us on wawasteallawuna@gmail.com.