Victorian MP Rachel Payne has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the state’s growing reliance on waste-to-energy projects, warning the policy risks repeating outdated waste management practices while creating new environmental and community concerns.
Her speech comes as HiQ continues its plan to build a waste-to-energy incinerator and power plant at its Eco-Hub in Sunbury Rd, Bulla.
Speaking in parliament on Wednesday 27 August, Ms Payne moved a motion requiring the Economy and Infrastructure Committee to investigate the development and expansion of waste-to-energy infrastructure in Victoria. She argued that while the technology is often presented as a solution to landfill, it poses significant risks to health, the environment, and the state’s circular economy goals.
“Victoria has more waste-to-energy projects in development than all other Australian jurisdictions combined,” Ms Payne said, noting the state’s annual cap on incineration has increased by 150% in three years to 2.5 million tonnes.
Just last week, she said, seven new licences were approved.
Ms Payne pointed to community opposition to a proposed facility in Lara – ultimately rejected after intervention from the Deputy Prime Minister – as evidence of growing public unease. Residents, local councils and the Geelong Chamber of Commerce had raised concerns about the potential for odour, air pollution and the plant’s proximity to homes.
“Once these projects reach full capacity, the vast majority of Victoria’s waste could be taken from landfill to be burnt. This represents one of the most significant shifts in waste management policy in Victoria’s history,” she said.
The MP criticised the government for pursuing large-scale incineration while cutting jobs in the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. She argued that decades-long contracts with operators risk locking the state into higher levels of waste generation, including the potential importation of waste from interstate.
She also cited findings from the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office, which reported major shortcomings in the state’s recycling systems. Despite a 2019 circular economy strategy, she said, landfill volumes have not decreased.
International evidence, Ms Payne added, shows that incineration is not a clean solution.
“In the UK, burning rubbish produces the same amount of greenhouse gases per unit of energy as coal power,” she said, highlighting the problem of toxic ash and heavy metal by-products.
Instead, Ms Payne urged exploration of alternative waste technologies such as anaerobic digestion, which converts manure into usable gas and fertiliser, and greater investment in recycling and separation of waste streams.
She also raised concerns about equity and consultation, noting that facilities are rarely proposed in affluent suburbs but often targeted at vulnerable or working-class communities.
“These waste-to-energy projects are not being proposed in Brighton or Toorak,” she said. “They are being proposed in suburbs that have long histories as the state’s dumping grounds.”
Ms Payne contrasted Victoria’s approach with other jurisdictions. Incinerators are banned in metropolitan Sydney and entirely prohibited in the ACT following community backlash. Even members of the Victorian Labor Party, she noted, have opposed projects in their electorates despite the government’s push for expansion.
“The most important thing is stopping waste before it starts,” Ms Payne concluded. “An inquiry will give experts and communities the chance to shape a waste management system that delivers better outcomes for people and the planet.”