Victoria inquiry urges tougher waste-to-energy rules but stops short of minimum home setback distances

A parliamentary inquiry in Victoria has recommended tighter rules for waste-to-energy facilities, including continuous emissions monitoring and a review of the approvals process. The report was tabled in state parliament on Tuesday and drew protests from residents who travelled to Parliament House to oppose proposed plants in Melbourne's outer suburbs. Critics say the inquiry did not go far enough because it stopped short of setting minimum distances between waste-to-energy sites and homes.

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The committee made 33 recommendations in all, covering emissions oversight, planning approvals and local impacts. It also said waste-to-energy companies should contribute to the upkeep of local roads, reflecting concerns about increased truck traffic around proposed sites. The report was welcomed by the peak body for waste managers, which said it strongly supported moves for mandatory product stewardship schemes.

The debate has become more intense because the state government has 11 waste-to-energy licences moving towards final approval. The locations named in the report include Sunbury in Melbourne's outer north-west, Wollert in the outer north, Laverton in the west and Dandenong in the south-east. Residents who attended parliament said they were worried about health and safety, the proximity of plants to homes and the effect of more heavy vehicles on local roads.

Waste-to-energy is intended to divert rubbish from landfill by burning it to produce heat that can be used to generate electricity for the grid. The committee said Victoria still has a large volume of residual waste to manage, noting that the state generated 5.7 million tonnes and recovered about 69% for other uses. It also warned that by 2053 the state is forecast to generate 8.9 million tonnes of waste, underlining the scale of the challenge facing policymakers.

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The report described waste-to-energy as a lower-order option for material that cannot be avoided, reused, recycled or composted. It said the technology should be treated as a last resort before landfill, and urged the government to do more to prevent waste through education and by making businesses take responsibility for plastics and packaging products. That framing places the inquiry within a broader push to reduce landfill dependence while limiting the environmental and community impacts of new industrial facilities.

For communities in Melbourne's outer suburbs, the issue is not only about waste policy but also about planning and public confidence. Residents have argued that facilities built too close to homes could affect health and safety, while also increasing traffic on local roads. The inquiry's recommendations suggest regulators are trying to balance those concerns against the need for new waste infrastructure as landfill pressures grow.

What remains unclear is how the state government will respond to the recommendation on setbacks, and whether it will strengthen planning rules before more licences are approved. It is also not yet clear how the 33 recommendations will be prioritised or whether they will change the timetable for proposed projects. The next key step will be the government's formal response and any follow-up decisions on the pending licences.

#Victoria #wastetoenergy #parliamentaryinquiry #emissionsmonitoring #wastemanagement

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