Ahead of Monday night’s vote on the fate of our 20-year-old family green waste recycling business, Lake Macquarie City Councillors have received the assessing officer's recommendation to refuse our application to enable us to operate at the same scale as any other landscapes supplies yard.
The officer has made 26 statements that go directly against expert advice and regulations in his recommendations to Council.
The officer did not engage any experts on the matter. He is not an environmental expert, nor are any of the internal council staff with whom he consulted to form his assessment.
His recommendation excludes important details, and has numerous untrue and misleading statements, including:
- Telling Council he does not have sufficient or adequate information to enable a proper assessment of environmental impacts yet failing to explain that over the past 2 years and 5 months, he has made 5 separate requests for information, and we have answered all questions raised with expert reports and data.
- Stating the application has not demonstrated the likely environmental impacts of the development are acceptable – despite Environmental Experts providing detailed evidence and reports proving otherwise.
- Inaccurately reporting the vast number of public submissions of support for approval of our modification received by Council.
- Deeming the application is not in the public interest, despite expert reports and more than 250 submissions of community support provided to Council, calling for the approval.
- Failing to mention that the site was chosen by LMCC back in 2005, planned, approved and established in partnership with Council, and incorrectly listing the history of how the current DA was established.
- Suggesting Composting would take place on the site – it won’t.
- Stating that there are no economic considerations for refusing the application, ignoring not only the loss of local employment or the economic impact on the community of having to pay more to dispose of green waste at other facilities.
- Omitting details that there is a positive financial impact on Council facilities when our operations are closed, essentially creating a monopoly on green waste recycling in the region.
- Deeming there are no impacts to public infrastructure from the application – our facility is public infrastructure and provides an important public service.
James Griffin, former NSW Minister for Environment, wrote to the Mayor of Lake Macquarie and all elected Councillors on Friday, attesting to our integrity, commitment to compliance, and sharing his opinion of our good corporate citizenship. He encouraged Council to assess the application on its merits, with fair, evidence-based decision making.
YOUR SUPPORT CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE
- Attend the meeting: Bring your families along with you and send a message to our Councillors to support a business that supports our environment, our community and employs local people.
- Reach out to your local councillor directly to encourage them to listen to the experts, and make a fair decision for our community.
You can also reach out to us if you have any questions, concerns or want to see the latest data and expert reports about our site via email: damien@ozmulch.com
We need common sense, facts and fairness to prevail, so we can get back to work recycling organic backyard materials.
Your support to demand common sense and a fair go means the world to us. Thank you