BALLARAT’S LIQUID GOLD
Member for Western Victoria Beverley McArthur visited the potential site for a waste and recycling processing and distribution centre in Ballarat. The vacant land, adjacent to the Ballarat West Employment Zone (BWEZ) is located on the north-west fringe of the town.
Mrs McArthur met Cr Samantha McIntosh and Cr Grant Tillett, who have been key drivers of this important project.
She said: “A facility such as that proposed here would benefit not just Ballarat, but the entire Central Goldfields area, encompassing eight municipalities.”
“The Council have set aside funds, there are private entrepreneurs interested, and waste would be dealt with in a proactive manner. However, there is only one stumbling block: the State Government through Regional Development Victoria (RDV) won't facilitate the purchase or handover of the land to the Council. This land transfer is necessary to ensure investment certainty for commercial partners.”
“Around the world waste is seen as an opportunity not a problem. This Victorian Government have been collecting hundreds of millions of dollars from ratepayers for their so-called sustainability fund, while waste has been exported to developing countries or dumped into landfill across the state.”
“Having visited waste to energy and recycling plants in Scandinavia and the UK, I am acutely aware of the opportunities that have been overlooked in Victoria. This needs to change immediately.”
“Waste is a valuable commodity. It is short sighted to see it as a just a burden to ratepayers. This Andrews Government has been criminally negligent in failing to exploit the economic opportunities waste presents.”
“I will be doing everything I can to support the Ballarat City Council and particularly Crs McIntosh and Tillett in their efforts to proactively deal with waste. These councillors have identified the solutions to the problem that many municipalities face and they want to lead not just Victoria but Australia.”
“I will also be asking the Minister for Regional Development why the Government is failing to facilitate an obvious solution to waste in Ballarat with such huge economic and environmental benefits. This transfer could be enacted with the stroke of a pen. Ballarat's waste could soon be Ballarat's liquid gold."
ENDS
22 November 2019