Planning Instrument restricts new Ipswich dumps and waste to energy

Limits on new landfills and waste to energy facilities in Ipswich have been expanded by the Palaszczuk government. 

Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning Steven Miles said a renewed Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) is being implemented to ensure protections continue when the existing TLPIs expire early next year and are further expanded.

“Local residents have raised concerns about the impacts of waste activities such as landfills on health, air quality, odour, dust and noise, as well as impacts on visual amenity,” Mr Miles said.

“The renewed TLPI covers the Swanbank / New Chum and Ebenezer / Willowbank / Jeebropilly areas and regulates new or changed waste activities, protecting nearby residential areas from adverse amenity impacts by introducing stronger planning safeguards to better regulate waste activities.

“This continues the action first taken in 2018 by the Queensland Government to protect Ipswich residents by making a TLPI for the Swanbank / New Chum area and continued in 2020 by the Queensland Government and Ipswich City Council.

“It includes new provisions to address the emerging Energy from Waste sector.

“The TLPI complements actions already being undertaken by the Environment Minister and the Ipswich City Council with the newly formed Waste Management Stakeholder Advisory Group and Odour Abatement Taskforce.

“The TLPI provides interim protections for nearby residents for up to two years, while the Ipswich City Council continues preparing a new planning scheme as the longer-term planning solution.”

Mr Miles said improving the waste future for the Ipswich community continues to be a priority for both the Queensland Government and the council. 

“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to working with local government, the resource recovery industry and the community to improve sustainability and create jobs by harnessing the potential value of resources traditionally discarded,” Mr Miles said.

Along with better planning controls, the Queensland Government is working with councils and industry on achieving the State’s zero-waste future as part of the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy.

ENDS

Media contact:           Amy Hunter – 0423 651 484