CLEANAWAY’S proposed $700-$800 million waste-to- energy facility at Bromelton has become the centre of an escalating debate, with community groups urging caution while the company maintains the project is safe and essential for Queensland’s waste future.
The Bromelton Energy and Resource Centre (BERC), planned for a 62 hectare site within the Bromelton State Development Area, aims to process up to 760,000 tonnes of residual waste each year.
Cleanaway says this would divert around 12 per cent of Queensland’s landfill and generate enough electricity to power 105,000 homes and businesses.
A Cleanaway spokesperson said the technology was internationally proven and far removed from older style incinerators.
“The Bromelton Energy and Resource Centre is not an incinerator like we have come to know them from decades past,” the spokesperson said.
“It will be a safe and highly advanced facility … applying the latest technology in pollution control systems.”
The company says 95 per cent of resources would be recovered and reused, including more than 180,000 tonnes of ash and metal.
However, strong opposition was on display at a community forum recently in Boonah, where speakers from environmental, medical and community organisations raised concerns about potential health and environmental impacts.
Presenters argued that emissions from similar facilities overseas are only minimised when waste is burned at significantly higher temperatures than those proposed for Bromelton.
Some residents said they feared “forever chemicals” could accumulate in soil, roofs and water tanks.
Scenic Rim Regional Council said it is continuing to monitor the proposal and will assess any formal application.
Cleanaway has now lodged a development application, and the project remains in the early assessment phase.
