Tamworth Organic Waste Recycling Facility: residents raise a stink over proposed organic waste facility

Locals aren't against the multi-million dollar food and organic recycling facility, but feel its proposed location at 284 Gidley Appleby Road is the wrong place, according to Gidley resident Jill Morphett.

"We support a council organic waste facility that incorporates kitchen waste into its green waste, kerbside pickup and Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) waste facilities similar to neighbouring Armidale council," she said.

Her main concern is the biosecurity risk animal by-products pose to neighbouring chicken farms, prime agricultural land and drinking water.

"The fact that they're going to process animal waste by-products such as paunch and sludge, which will pollute the air and community around us, is of great concern," she said.

The project initially received planning approval in September 2020, despite 100 submissions to Tamworth Regional Council in objection.

At the time, the Northern Regional Planning Panel deemed the site suitable for use due to its close proximity to Tamworth, accessibility, and direct access to major roads. The panel also deemed the site free of environment constraints after the proposal was assessed by two independent peer reviews.

Mrs Morphett said run-off from the facility was another worry for locals, who believe a series of dams slated to be built to catch run-off won't be sufficient.

"When we have a downpour here, every dam in the area is full and overflowing, so these dams they're proposing to put in, will not hold," she said.

"And we're very concerned the run-off will pollute the Peel River down to the Namoi and continue on."

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Tamworth Ratepayers Association's David McKinnon said from his perspective the concern isn't so much the location, but its ability to recycle abattoir waste.

"When I heard it was a recycling centre I thought 'great we need it'," he said.

"But it was only later on, when I heard it was going to be a commercial abattoirs excess processing plant, that I started to have concerns.

"We're talking high toxicity. Abattoirs should be dealing with their own waste... you can't just dump this on ratepayers.

"We're having these storm dumps at the moment that are just frightening everyone, and if they dump on that leachate dam, all of that's straight into the water system."

A spokesperson for Tamworth council said there had been extensive community consultation undertaken as part of the project to date.

"Council expects to call for tenders for construction of the Tamworth Organics Facility in late May 2022," the spokesperson said.

"The build is expected to take about nine months, with the facility scheduled to start operating in July 2024."

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