NSW Committee Recommends Moratorium on Regional Waste-to-Energy Plants

A New South Wales upper house select committee has recommended a moratorium on all waste-to-energy projects across the state pending an independent review. In a report tabled on October 20, 2026, the Parliamentary Inquiry into Energy-from-Waste Facilities advised the government to scrap plans to incinerate Sydney's waste in regional areas, specifically recommending the rejection of projects in Parkes and Goulburn-Mulwaree, including Veolia's $1.5 billion Woodlawn proposal near Tarago.

Committee Chair Nichole Overall stated that regulatory approval does not equate to a social licence, arguing that regional communities should not be railroaded to shoulder the burden of metropolitan waste. The report includes 22 recommendations, such as establishing minimum buffer distances between facilities and schools, hospitals, or food production areas, and increasing the share of the waste levy returned to local councils to cover infrastructure costs.

While the Hunter Joint Organisation previously supported a proposal in the Tomago precinct to provide essential capacity as Sydney's landfills face depletion by 2030, the inquiry highlighted fierce local opposition. Independent MP Phil Donato also supported the moratorium, asserting that facilities should not be located far from their waste sources.

Environment Minister Penny Sharpe's office stated that the government disagrees with the recommendation for a moratorium, although it will consider the report's findings in detail.