Nine Melbourne councils have entered an Energy from Waste (EfW) agreement that they say will divert 95 per cent of household waste from landfill.

Under the 25-year waste supply agreement with Maryvale EfW Project Co, the councils will send waste to a processing facility in Maryvale in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, where it will be incinerated and converted into an energy source for a local paper mill.

The nine councils are shareholders in South East Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing (SEMAWP), a company created by the councils for the purpose of the  procurement.

SEMAWP’s Board Chair and Bayside City Council Chief Executive Officer Mick Cummins says diverting SEMAWP Councils’ residual waste from landfill will help reduce greenhouse gas emssions.

“This is a great outcome for residents of the nine councils involved in this project that began in 2019,” Mr Cummins said.

“This solution provides an alternative to landfill that makes better use of household waste than burying it in the ground. Items that can’t be reused or recycled will be put to better use.”

Councils will deliver waste to a transfer station planned for construction in Melbourne’s south east, where it will be prepared for bulk transfer to Maryvale EfW.

Combined heat and power from the EfW facility will be used by the adjacent Opal Australian Paper Maryvale Mill.

Concerns

EfW is not without controversy. The Australian Greens argue that incinerators are expensive and more polluting than coal and gas-fired power stations for energy output.

A factsheet produced by the Greens also raises concerns about councils being locked into long term EfW contracts that act as a disincentive to recycling and circular economy initiatives.

 But SEMAWP says energy from waste facilities are being used safely and reliably in metropolitan areas around the world, including in the UK, Europe, Asia and North America.

Modern, best-practice advanced waste processing facilities have strong safety track records and are designed to meet strict emissions standards.

SEMAWP

“Modern, best-practice advanced waste processing facilities have strong safety track records and are designed to meet strict emissions standards, with real-time emission monitoring to make sure they meet strict air quality standards,” it said in a statement.

SEMAWP says its member councils have strengthened their influence on the economic, environmental and social outcomes of the project by forming a single entity.

It also says household waste in Melbourne’s south east is projected to increase by 40 per cent by 2046, and the last remaining landfill in the area will close in the next few years, so an alternative is necessary.

SEMAWP is governed by a constitution and reports to a board of directors. Each participating council is bound by a shareholders’ agreement and has an equal share in SEMAWP which means they have an equal say on how the contract is managed regardless of the size of the council and the amount of household waste being supplied.

SEMAWP exists only to manage the contract agreement for the advanced waste processing facility and cannot make decisions on other waste or council matters.

Maryvale EfW Project Co is a consortium between Veolia Australia and New Zealand, Opal Australian Paper, and Masdar Tribe Australia.