Parkes Shire Councillors met and voted to oppose the proposed Energy-from-Waste facility.
Parkes Shire Council has unanimously supported a motion by Mayor Neil Westcott to formally object to the proposed Energyfrom-Waste (EfW) facility within the Parkes Special Activation Precinct.
“This means that Parkes Council, in totality, is against the EfW project, we are opposed to it, we will not be supporting it. We are not the determining body, but whatever influence we can bring to bear it will be in the form of absolute rejection,” Mayor Neil Westcott said.
Mayor Westcott said the decision reflects the strong community sentiment. Critically, Council’s objection will require the NSW Government to refer the planning assessment to the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC).“Our first duty is to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents, the integrity of our environment, and the reputation of our agricultural sector. When government provides no credible information to demonstrate safety, the community can only conclude that these risks may exist, and that is a failure of leadership,” the Mayor said.
The motion was amended during the meeting and passed unanimously. Each Councillor present had the opportunity to speak about the project during the consideration of the motion. Watch in full on Council’s website https://parkes.infocouncil.biz/
State Member Phil Donato has previously issued a statement on the proposal; “I will not be supporting this project, and I will continue to stand with the people of Parkes to ensure their voices are heard by the government.”
Council’s resolution will be communicated to the NSW Premier, the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the NSW Minister for Environment, the Independent Planning Commission, the Local Member and the Parliamentary Inquiry into Energyfrom-Waste Facilities.
Chair of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Energy-from-Waste facilities Nichole Overall MLC confirmed subsequent public hearings will be held in Parkes and Goulburn in April and May 2026.