An historic waste services agreement was on track after the signing of contracts began this week for the building of a $400 million alternative waste treatment facility.
The facility would be utilised by the cities of Gosnells, Armadale, South Perth and Mandurah and the shires of Serpentine Jarrahdale and Murray, which comprise the Rivers Regional Council (RCC) and were responsible for tendering for the supply of the facility.
The City of Canning would also deliver waste to the facility, which was due to be built in the next three years in the industrial area of Kwinana by Phoenix Energy.
The facility would incinerate waste to generate about 35 megawatts of electricity, the equivalent of powering about 35,000 homes.
RRC chairman Ron Hoffman said the project was a great example of local governments working together to provide a cost effective and coordinated outcome for residents.
“Most importantly, this facility will divert 100 per cent of municipal solid waste from landfill and will provide a new waste to energy plant, providing a more environmentally friendly source of electricity than coal,” he said.
“This will be the first facility using this technology for disposal of waste in Australia.”
The technology utilised for the facility was ‘Martin Grate’ – high temperature mass combustion, with about 450 facilities using this type technology in the world.
This type of facility had been operating overseas for more than 40 years.
Local Government Minister Tony Simpson praised the efforts of the RCC and said the facility would put downward pressure on rubbish rates, which had risen dramatically over the last 20 years.
