The Mayor and CEO of Kwinana Council are off on another Junket, this time allegedly 'to look at impacts of incinerators' in Japan. It is little wonder Kwinana's rates are rising more than most other councils in recent years. Yes a town that has been proven the most disadvantaged community in Perth yet our rates have risen more than most councils in Australia.
If Kwinana Council has it's way plans to mass burn waste including waste streams from other councils and industries will see Kwinana become the host community for a toxic incineration industry. Dangerous chemicals such as Dioxins, Mercury and other by-products of incineration will add further risks to the health of the Kwinana community, who already suffer the disproportionate impacts from heavy polluting industry on the Kwinana industrial strip.
One would have thought that the Kwinana Council would have learned something during the early 2000's when the council proposed another incinerator project, after much community angst and protest the then awake state labor government put a stop to the project.
A growing body of independent science and health professionals recognise the increased cancer, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease points to the large number of high risk polluting industries operating on the Kwinana industrial strip but sadly our Council still has its head buried in the sand and continues to ignore and downplay the risk.
Claims that industrial pollution is not a problem in Kwinana "because the wind does not blow pollution into residential areas can have no validity based on common sense, scientific data and the bureau of meteorology wind patterns. This claim is just another lie developed by those wanting to protect industry.
Corporate spin about the benefits of waste to energy (incineration) plants as a reliable and effective waste management option are being challenged all over the world leaving Kwinana the bastion for misinformation about 'silver bullet solutions' and 'end of pipe policy' and decision making.
The claim by Kwinana Council that an incinerator would lower rates is bizarre, history suggests that the opposite would be more the case.
The failure of Kwinana Council to respect its constituents and provide community engagement on such high risk proposals, shows an alarming level of contempt towards its own residents and leaves an impression that there is an intention to manipulate and control the outcomes of any decision making in relation to the Towns waste management. These decisions require full community engagement as has been recognised by most other WA local governments who are establishing recourse recovery facilities around the state.
There is a reason nowhere else in Australia has a incinerator and that is because communities around Australia have rejected and continue to reject dangerous incineration as a waste treatment option.
Associated links used in this post:
Something in the air Kwinana Pollution
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