1.1 What is a Community Recycling Centre (CRC)?

The CRC will be a public drop-off facility for recyclables, reusables and hard-to-dispose-of items. We’ll also explore options for waste education spaces and re-use shops.

1.2 What is a Waste Transfer Station (WTS)?

The WTS will collect waste from households and consolidate it into larger loads for efficient transport to recycling or disposal facilities.

1.3 What is a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)?

The MRF will sort mixed recycling into separate materials like paper, plastic or metal, so they can be reused or processed by manufacturers.

1.4 Where is the facility going to be located?

The facility is located at Lot 600 570 Wattle Avenue Neerabup. The address and location map is available on the Your Say page (See Site location tab).

1.5 Why is it needed now?

The City is planning to ensure we have local, long-term waste services in place.

This is especially important as Tamala Park, our closest recovery centre, nears its capacity with the landfill expected to close by 2028.

1.6 How much does this project cost?

The combined cost of the Community Recycling Centre, Waste Transfer Station, and Materials Recovery Facility is estimated at $75 million. The Master Plan provides estimated costs for the construction of the waste infrastructure elements.

The City will continue to seek State and Federal funding to support these components, while the Materials Recovery Facility will be delivered through private investment.

1.7 Will the City reinvest revenue from recycling or energy generation into local sustainability projects or rate relief?

The Stage 1 NRRP project has been instigated to ensure that the City can provide sustainable and cost-effective waste services to its rate payers.

2.1 How will the facility deal with non-recoverable items/waste?

Unlike Tamala Park, the Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct does not include a landfill facility. Waste that cannot be reused or recycled will be moved to the Waste Transfer Station on site which primarily manages the "Red Bin" waste. This is a fully enclosed warehouse building and all waste from the Waste Transfer Station will be removed from the facility by the end of each day to either landfill facilities or waste to energy plants for processing. There is no long-term storage of waste in the Waste Transfer Station.

2.2 Does the Neerabup Waste Precinct include a waste-to-energy component and, if so, how does this process work?

The Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct Masterplan has identified the potential for the provision of waste to energy technology, named on the map as an Energy Recovery Facility. This, however, is not part of the current stage of the project. The future provision of an energy recovery facility will be subject to the monitoring of the performance of existing energy recovery plants in the State, identifying a third-party proponent, and thereafter satisfaction of the planning and approvals required for a facility of this nature. Further information on waste to energy is available in the Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct Masterplan Section 6.1 and 10.4, the masterplan on the project webpage to the right under the Documents section.

2.3 Who will be responsible for identifying types of hazardous waste?

The Community Recycling Centre will be the only facility that accepts hazardous waste and this will be strictly limited to household hazardous waste generated by City rate payers. This includes items such as batteries, used paint, pool chemicals and e-waste. This approach is consistent with other household hazardous waste facilities operating across Perth.

2.4 Will all operations be subject to international standards?

The City will utilise formal procurement processes to select suitable project partners for the delivery and/or operation of the various NRRP facilities. All selectedfirms will be required to hold relevant qualifications and accreditations.

2.5 How will private operators be held accountable for performance, maintenance, and environmental compliance under their contracts?

The City, in collaboration with its legal partners, will prepare contracts that clearly define performance standards, monitoring and reporting requirements for services provided by private operators in deliveringStage 1 facilities. A similar approach will apply to any facilities delivered in the future stages of the NRRP.

3.1 Has the City reviewed the potential impacts of this facility on health and environment?

The full masterplan including due diligence investigations with regard to various health and environmental impacts is available in the ‘Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct Masterplan’ to the right under the Documents section. Detailed environmental management plans and assessments that consider fire, odour, noise and other risks are undertaken as part of approvals and licencing for the facility, which will be assessed by the Department of Water and Environment Regulation, and published for comment. It should be noted that the Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct does not include a landfill facility.

3.2 Is the distance between the precinct’s location and nearest residential areas safe?

Yes. The NRRP is located 1.8 km from the nearest residential area, well beyond the DWER and EPA recommended separation distance of 200m for waste transfer stations. This is also significantly greater than similar facilities operating across the Perth metropolitan area, which have not caused undue impacts on surrounding communities.

3.3 Is any land clearing required for the new precinct?

The City has submitted a clearing permit to the DWER for the Stage 1 facilities.

This permit includes measures to retain high value trees.

3.4 Has a full air quality and odour dispersion model been completed and will the results be released before the final decision?

The City's air quality consultant prepared an odour impact assessment for the Stage 1 facilities, as per the DWER requirements. The odour impact assessment, along with all documents within the Works Approval application, will be made publicly available onceDWER advertises the application. At that time,the City will share a link to these documents on the project website.

3.5 Has the City conducted any baseline monitoring of air and water quality?

The Works Approval application includes information on all environmental factors for the project. Due to the low-risk nature of the Stage 1 NRRP facilities, the DWER has not requested baseline monitoring./ This approach is consistent with other similar facilities across the WA.

3.6 Will the City commit to continuous air monitoring with publicly available data for nearby suburbs once the site is operational?

Due to the low risk profile associated with the Stage 1 infrastructure, continuous air quality monitoring and public reporting is not required by the regulatory authorities. Continuous monitoring and reporting is common for Waste-to-Energy (WtE) facilities and the City will adopt this approach if a WtE facility is delivered at the NRRP in the future.

3.7 What’s the plan for disposal of the toxic bottom ash and fly ash products from the planned incinerator?

Bottom ash make up approximately 20% of the total feedstock. The bottom ash is processed to maximise the recovery of materials, including metals and inert aggregates. Fly ash, which accounts for around 5% of the feedstock, requires special handling and will be treated at licensed facilities that are equipped to manage this type of material safely.

3.8 What specific design features will prevent stormwater contamination or leachate seepage from waste handling areas?

All waste handling and storage activities will be undertaken on engineered and sealed surfaces to mitigate leaching potential. In addition, bins will hold waste within the Community Recycling Centre to reduce future risks. All stormwater will be diverted away from areas holding waste and captured within the City's stormwater management system for treatment.

3.9 What specific technologies and systems will be used to control odours and emissions inside the Waste Transfer Station and future facilities?

The City will adopt a daily clean floor policy at the Waste Transfer Station with all waste removed at the end of each operational day. Therefore, waste will only be stored at the facility for short periods of time, reducing the odour risk profile of the facility. Like all modern waste transfer stations, the building will have extensive ventilation systems with 3-4 air changes per hour and with the air vented through the roof stacks.

3.10 Has there been a biodiversity or vegetation offset plan to compensate for land clearing within the precinct?

The City has submitted a clearing permit to the DWER for the Stage 1 facilities. This included the retention of high value trees.

3.11 How will the City deal with any customer complaints relating to dust, noise, odours etc?

A Complaint system will be established for the Site and the City will respond accordingly to all complaints received. However, as no waste processing or disposal will occur at the Site and the significant separation to residential areas, there is an extremely low risk of odour and dust issues arising from Stage 1 facilities.

3.12 What firefighting resources will be available on-site to swiftly control potential fires and is there emergency response plan?

As part of the design works, an independent fire engineer is determining the exact fire-fighting requirement to ensure compliance with relevant codes. This will include engagement with and acceptance by DFES.

3.13 If a future Waste-to-Energy facility proceeds, will it be subject to independent emissions testing and public reporting of stack emissions?

Generally, WtE facility have real time emissions stack monitoring and reporting, which is publicly available.

3.14 What lessons from other WtE facilities are being tracked, and how will they inform design and safety standards here?

Consistent with the State Government and the waste hierarchy, the City supports the use of WtE for the treatment of residual waste (red lidded bin), as opposed to landfilling. WtE ensure that the maximum value in the formation of energy and materials recovery can be obtained from these non-recyclable materials. The Master Plan sets aside a suitable area at the NRRP for the delivery of a WtE plant in the future, if deemed suitable and viable. This is likely to be up to 20 years away, and at that time, the latest technology and safety standards would be applied to its design and operation.

4.1 How has the community been involved during the project?

Community involvement is a key part of the project. The City has planned consultation activities to take place during the design phase, expected in late 2025. These sessions will give residents and stakeholders a chance to provide input on the concept and detailed designs. Keep an eye on this page for updates.

4.2 Why isn’t the Neerabup RRC Business Plan on the City’s Your Say hub?

Under legislation, the Business Plan must be published on the City's Public Notices page. It is currently open for comment until 17 December and deals with the City entering a major trading undertaking.

The Neerabup Resource Recovery Precinct Masterplan consultation, which is open until 21 November 2025, provides the community an opportunity to provide feedback on the precinct proposal. https://yoursay.wanneroo.wa.gov.au/neerabup-resour...

The Your Say page now has a link to the Business Plan Public Notice on the City's website.

4.3 Can the City provide plain-English summaries of the technical studies (odour, air quality, groundwater, fire, and noise)?

The DWER is currently in the process of validating the Works Approval application for the Stage 1 NRRP, including the Waste Transfer Station, Materials Recovery Facility and Community Recycling Centre. Once the DWER has validated the Works Approval application, the City's full works approval application (including all supporting documentation) will be made publicly available during the DWER's mandatory 28-day public comment period.

The City will provide updates on the progress of the DWER's Works Approval application, including when the documents are available online and when the comments period commences. The City can undertake further engagement following the communities review of the Works Approval and supporting documentation.

4.4 Will Council consider an independent peer review of environmental and safety studies to strengthen public confidence?

The City has engaged a variety of independent consultants to undertake a variety of specialist studies and assessment to support the design and approval applications for the project. The DWER will undertake a detailed assessment of all documentation to support its assessment process. The City has not seen the merit in undertaking a peer review of the project at this stage, nor has a peer review been requested by the DWER.

4.5 How will the facility integrate with Containers for Change and local recycling programs?

Container for Change materials will be able to be accepted at the CRC. There is significant financial investment required by the City for the construction and operation of the Stage 1 NRRP facilities, which will in turn provide the City's ratepayers with a sustainable and cost-effective service.

4.6 Will there be community education programs or facility tours to encourage better recycling habits?

Yes. The current design of the Community Recycling Centre includes a Community Education Centre. This space will be the base for all the City's community education activities, including tours of the NRRP facility for community members and school groups.