GHD and Plasrefine host tense community update briefing

According to GHD 117 residents and community members attended six sessions held over two days at the Moss Vale Senior Citizens and Community Centre to ask questions and provide feedback.

The information gathered at the event will be documented in the amendment report prepared by GHD and submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment.

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At the opening of the session attended by the Southern Highland News a GHD representative told those gathered that permissibility of the project was not up for discussion.

ALSO READ: GHD Group for Plasrefine Recycling deliver Response to Submissions report on Moss Vale Plastics Recycling Facility

Tensions in the room were high from the outset and throughout. As the presentation got underway one resident interjected and loudly said: "We don't want it. Clear off."

A team of four GHD consultants were present at the meeting alongside Plasrefine owner Nancy Zheng.

The meeting agenda included a project proposal overview, proposed changes and agency responses, a letter by the Department of Planning and Environment, the Wingecarribee Shire Council approved Braddon Road DA, an opportunity for continued community input, questions and answers, and next steps and timeframes.

Within the presentation GHD told those gathered that the State Government had signed off on Innes Road as fit to be used as a heavy vehicle road. This outraged the residents.

In a heated back and forth between the consultants and residents GHD was accused of "shifting the goal posts".

The residents asked the consultants if they had been to the site? And had they tried to turn a heavy vehicle or truck on that road?

"Have you actually turned a truck on that road?" a resident asked. "You can't."

However, GHD insisted that the road was an approved heavy vehicle road and told those gathered they would take their concerns as "feedback".

"We are not proposing to change a local road into a heavy vehicle road; it is a heavy vehicle road," the consultant said.

"If you don't support use of that road, I have heard that."

The residents continued to press the consultants and Ms Zheng to visit the site in person.

"Come at the right time and have an actual conversation," a resident said.

"Nancy, come and have a look. Bring your children down and we will bring trucks past it and you can see how dangerous it is. Be considerate of your options."

The same resident did not accept GHD's response that it was the only and best route because of the railway line.

"I don't care, that's your problem," he said.

"Come up with another solution. Don't make it through a school zone and a residential area. You guys are better than that. Read your own mission statement. Please make time to come. I'll buy you a coffee."

According to GHD best access does not always mean the one that you can get approved.

"So you look at alternate access," the GHD consultant said.

To this a number of residents responded: "Is it possible that this is not the best site?"

GHD maintain that the site has the benefit of "so many" ways of accessing it.

"It's up to us to work out what is a reasonable and acceptable way to access this site," the consultant said.

However, the residents were far from convinced.

"Nancy I keep emailing you and telling you we don't want it," a resident said.

"In my last email Nancy talked about gifts. The best gift you can give us Nancy is withdraw your application. Find somewhere else."

At this point the GHD consultants told those gathered the session was not to "prosecute".

"Do you want to hear about the project?" the consultant asked.

The residents responded: "We don't want the project. We don't want it. It's a waste of time."

At 6.42pm a handful of the residents pushed to have the presentation over so they could move onto the questions.

The presentation continued with GHD illustrating that most of the State Government agencies were at a stage of providing draft conditions should the project be recommended for approval.

"We are yet to receive a response from the council. It remains outstanding," the consultant said.

"There is some further work in relation to EPA and air quality but all other agencies have provided draft conditions should the project be approved."

GHD admitted the new haulage route had resulted in exceedances of the road traffic criteria. That was with five trucks and 10 movements.

"We are looking at options," the consultant said.

At the session attended by the Southern Highland News the GHD team said they had tried to consult with Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman to no avail.

The group heard that Ms Tuckerman had declined all their advances to this point.

However, on Friday, June 2 Ms Tuckerman released a statement to Facebook to clear "disparaging comments".

"I would like to clear the disparaging comments made about me and the Wingecarribee Shire Council in this morning's 8.30am Plasrefine meeting. I was actually at the following meeting at 10am but they weren't witless enough to repeat them in front of me," Ms Tuckerman said.

"GHD claimed that I refused to engage with them when I have no doubt that they were soliciting my support, which I refuse to give. GHD also claimed that I have stated in Parliament inaccuracies surrounding the use of Waite Street, where their own traffic study mentioned Waite Street 48 times.

"While the owner of the land was understanding of the feedback I sympathise with the community after witnessing the detached presentation of GHD 'engagement' tempered with an air of arrogance and lack of empathy," Ms Tuckerman said.

The Plasrefine proposal is #nottherightsite, according to Ms Tuckerman. She plans to continue to support and advocate for the community.

Her Facebook statement followed Ms Tuckerman's presentation to the NSW Government on Monday, May 29.

"The facility itself is not the source of discontent for myself and those I represent. The location of the proposal is within approximately 250 metres of homes and residential dwellings on Beaconsfield Road," she said.

"The updated proposed haulage route now includes Innes Road, Waite Street and Lackey Road subsequently now proposing to now haul 120,000 tonnes of waste past three schools and two daycare centres.

"The project is not a case of not in my backyard because it is not a backyard project. This is a serious industrial project that has been proposed for a residential area," Ms Tuckerman said.

The NSW Government has a duty of care and must not lose sight of in the holistic wellbeing of communities and society, according to Ms Tuckerman.

"We have a responsibility to ensure the companies and investors such as this are held to the highest standards set out in the legislation," she said.

Southern Highland News approached Ms Zheng for a comment at the close of the community session on Thursday.

Ms Zheng said the community upset had made her "sad" but that the Plasrefine proposal would continue to move forward.

GHD will deliver its Amendment Report Submission in July before it goes out on public exhibition over four weeks.

After the public exhibition the Department of Planning and Environment will assess the proposal for referral to the Independent Planning Commission [IPC].

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