Parkes Residents Divided on Waste-to-Energy Incinerator

0:00A New South Wales Upper House Committee is digging into plans for waste-to-energy incinerators in regional spots like parks, tomago, lythgow, and goldburn. These plants would burn Sydney's red-bin trash to make electricity, with the parks won alone, eyeing a $1.5 billion price tag, and 700,000 tons of rubbish burned yearly if it gets the green light. The committee swung by parks on Tuesday to check out the tech and its effects on health, farms, soil, and water. They're hearing from locals worried about everything from student numbers at nearby schools to sacred indigenous sites. Parks, Christian schools, principal, laid it out straight. The incinerator, just a few kilometers away, could tank in Roman, forcing parents and staff to bail and wrecking their $22 million expansion over 12 years. The school jumped from 160 kids 9 years back to 430 now, aiming for nearly 500 by 2027. Aboriginal leaders flagged risks to protected rock art at Snake Rock from windblown particles,

1:03stressing how it hits their land, bodies, food, and spirit. The mayor called out the state government for ditching consultation, while a petition snagged 6,500 signatures from the towns, 8,000 folks, plus 70% against Dina Survey. A handful of residents pushed back in favor, seeing big economic winds and calling waste to energy the future, urging parks to lead, without jumping to. Doom scenarios from fear mongering. The committees keeping the hearings rolling in Sydney and Goldberg next month, before dropping their full report, so eyes stay glued on weather parks. Gets this beast or dodges the drama. I'm Corey with the story. That's your Sydney News Today update, AI powered and always on.