Wanneroo Council Greenlights $75 Million Waste Facility After Chaotic Meeting
The City of Wanneroo council has voted to advance stage one of the controversial $75 million Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct following a marathon five-and-a-half-hour meeting that descended into chaos, requiring ranger intervention and the ejection of a member of the public.
Heated Exchanges and Public Ejections Mark Council Decision
Tensions reached boiling point during the lengthy council session, with Mayor Linda Aitken forced to eject a disruptive attendee from the chamber and call for rangers to restore order. The meeting saw sustained interjections from the public gallery, with one speaker repeatedly refusing to sit down despite the mayor's requests.
"Now, can someone remove (him) from the room if he will not sit down?" Mayor Aitken demanded during the heated exchange. This prompted cries of "disgraceful" from another gallery member, leading to further confrontations and the temporary closure of the meeting until the disruptive individual was removed.
Stage One Approval Despite Community Concerns
The council ultimately voted 11-3 to proceed with detailed design work for stage one of the precinct and 12-2 to adopt the facility's business plan. The decision authorizes the city to begin the detailed design process following a seven-week community engagement period conducted last year.
Stage one will include construction of a waste transfer station, community recycling centre, and materials recovery facility at the Wattle Avenue site north of Banksia Grove. The facilities are scheduled for completion between May 2027 and late 2028, with construction expected to begin this June.
Incinerator Provisions Spark Major Opposition
While the current vote applies only to stage one, the inclusion of provisions for a waste-to-energy incinerator in stage two of the master plan has generated significant community backlash. Residents have expressed grave concerns about the precinct's proximity to residential areas—located just 1.8 kilometres from the nearest property—and potential health and environmental impacts.
Councillor Hugh Nguyen, who voted against proceeding at this stage, argued that community consultation had been insufficient. "I haven't seen such a passionate reaction from the community on a matter like this before," he stated, emphasizing the project's "long-lasting and intergenerational effect" on local residents.
Urgent Need Drives Project Forward
Council supporters highlighted the pressing need for new waste management infrastructure, with the Tamala Park landfill predicted to reach capacity in 2028-29 and the Wangara Waste Transfer Station expected to be full by 2029-30. The city anticipates generating approximately 90,000 tonnes of waste annually by that time.
Councillor Helen Berry defended the decision, stating: "We are not considering an open tip, and we are not considering an incinerator... Given the time now required to build these facilities and the processes required, knowing the closure of Tamala Park is getting closer day by day, I support administration's recommendation."
She added: "What would happen if we don't go through with this plan? If we don't build this, what is the city going to do? Are we just going to leave the waste on people's verges? No, we can't. So we need to be bold. We need to be brave... we need to approve this."
Future Considerations and Timeline
According to city reports, any proposed waste-to-energy facility would not be considered for another 10-15 years due to the volume of waste required for commercial viability. An attempt by Cr Nguyen to defer the decision until next month failed to gain support from other council members.
The Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct represents a significant infrastructure investment for Perth's northern suburbs, aiming to address growing waste management challenges while balancing community concerns about environmental impact and residential proximity.
