Perth Voice Interactive

“I DON’T want Bayswater to be known as the rubbish dump of Perth!” blared Cr Barry McKenna.

The council has voted to refuse an application to build a waste transfer facility in Bayswater that accepts class 2 type waste, which includes putrescible waste (food), green waste and building site rubble.

Instant Waste Management wanted to build the facility beside its existing waste transfer facility on Clune Street, next to Tonkin Highway.

The extension would have seen the site process an extra 60,000 tonnes of material a year, pushing it up to 270,000 tonnes per annum.

The area is already home to a Cleanaway transfer facility, Pure Earth recycling facility, a bin transfer station, a concrete recycling plant and a proposed concrete batching plant.

Cr McKenna was concerned about the number of extra trucks.

“Inspections by the city’s planning and technical services officers have revealed that the site is currently experiencing difficulties accommodating heavy vehicle traffic accessing the site with trucks often stacked up to three vehicles on Clune Street,” wrote council staff.

Cr Terry Kenyon said he’d received complaints from locals about dust on cars and in swimming pools.

“We have a responsibility to stand-up for our ratepayers,” he said. “Even if the applicant appeals to the state administrative tribunal and it costs us money, we should reject this application.”

Deputy mayor Mike Sabatino said the council was being inconsistent as it had approved waste transfer stations in the past and the area was an established site for this type of industry.

Cr Mike Anderton said he had visited the existing facility and described it as “state-of-the-art” with no smells or odours.

The Voice contacted Instant Waste, but it didn’t get back to us.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK