FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4 February 2025
Upper House MP David Ettershank says he’s glad Sunbury MP Josh Bull has finally come out against the proposed Sunbury incinerator.
Mr Ettershank is now calling on Mr Bull to convince his Labor colleagues that the Sunbury incinerator is a bad idea.
“As a member of the government, Josh is well-placed to make representations to the Minister for Planning and the Environment Minister that the project should not go ahead,” Mr Ettershank said.
“The proposed Sunbury waste incinerator would burn 750,000 tonnes of Melbourne’s rubbish every year. We should not build a giant incinerator just a few hundred metres from homes and a future town centre.
“Josh joins a conga line of ALP MPs opposed to incinerators in their own electorates. The line-up includes Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosia, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and MPs Ella George and Bronwyn Halpenny.
“But burning trash is an ALP initiative. A Victorian Labor Government introduced the legislation for waste incineration and allowed it in Melbourne. Incinerators are banned from metropolitan Sydney.”
Petition triggers parliamentary debate
Mr Ettershank says parliament will debate the Sunbury incinerator on February 18, and a broader review of waste‑to‑energy infrastructure will soon get underway through a parliamentary inquiry.
“Once submissions open, community voices will again play a major role, and I’ll keep everyone informed so you can contribute to the inquiry,” he said.
A petition signed by 3,264 Sunbury residents opposing the incinerator triggered the parliamentary debate.
Mr Ettershank says close to 500 Sunbury residents attended a community information session run by the No Sunbury Waste Incinerator Group before Christmas.
“The fact that almost 500 Sunbury residents gave up a Sunday to attend the No Sunbury Waste Incinerator session speaks volumes about the level of concern and opposition to this project in the community,” he said.
“When communities unite and speak up, they can win. I look forward to working constructively with Josh and other stakeholders to protect the health, wellbeing, and environment of residents in Sunbury.”
The Victorian Government has issued 11 licences for rubbish-burning incinerators in locations including: Wollert, near Epping (to burn 760,000t annually), Laverton(to burn 280,000t annually), Dandenong (100,000t annually), and Maryvale (to burn 650,000t annually).
“The Allan government also issued a license for a waste incinerator to burn 400,000t annually in Lara, near Geelong, but withdrew the license last year after the community protested,” he said.
“I want to see the Sunbury incinerator shelved. These colossal incinerators produce the same amount of greenhouse gases per unit of energy as coal power, plus a terrifying range of toxic chemicals.
“We’ve just had the bushfires and floods in Victoria and floods in Queensland. Why keep pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change?”
