‘Eyesore’ waste site hated by locals to remain as operator flags 20-year transformation into public park

A mountainous pile of rubbish in Kwinana, condemned as an eyesore and a hazard by nearby residents, could get even bigger as part of plans to block noise from the nearby Perth Motorplex. The rubbish heap, dubbed Mt Kwinana, at the Waste Stream Management site, could grow by 20m over the next 15-20 years according to general manager Wayne Sanders who says a verbal agreement is in place with the City of Kwinana for the pile to be developed into a viewing platform and picnic area, once it’s high enough to act as a sound buffer for the Motorplex. The plant processes construction and demolition waste, including asbestos, and recycles 90 per cent of intake into products like sand, asphalt and concrete. But residents to the south in Medina say they are fed up with the dust that blows from the plant. “A lot of residents complain about the dust everywhere, on their roofs and footpaths, and they feel like there’s nothing they can do about it. No one will give us any answers,” Medina Residents Association member Bill Toon said. “Residents have fought hard for industries to clean up their act, and feel that the operator is not doing his job.” Mr Toon said the community wanted more water to be sprayed on the dust to stop it blowing into their streets. Mr Sanders said a giant water cannon, sprinklers and misters have settled the dust. “We don’t operate the plant at all when the wind is blowing easterly. We have a wind barometer that tells us when it’s too strong, and when it is we shut the plant down,” Mr Sanders said. The City of Kwinana met with Waste Steam Management recently and The West understands the council is considering a review of the terms of its arrangement with the plant. The site is licensed, monitored and regulated by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, which has approved the height application and recent additions to improve the dust situation. City of Kwinana mayor Peter Feasey, who has been invited to tour the plant, says the council passes on residents’ complaints and feedback to DWER. “We are aware that some members of the community have raised concerns regarding visual amenity and dust,” he said. “While the city does not regulate the site, we have previously communicated community concerns to DWER and will continue to do so where appropriate.” The recycling plant is spread across three lots, with the Western Australian Planning Commission the registered proprietor for lots 304 and 303, while lot 434 is owned by the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage. The three sites are leased to the council, which sub-leases them to Waste Stream Management for about $400,000 a year. Sub-leases on Lots 304 and 303 expired in 2019 and are periodic and subject to termination with just a months notice. Lot 434 was sub-leased in 2003 and is due to expire in 2027. A DWER officer visited the site in December after receiving calls about dust, Mr Sanders said, and was satisfied with the plant’s remediation. “We’re allowed to have dust, we’re just not allowed to let it blow outside of our property, so that’s why we’ve made these changes,” Mr Sanders said. The department’s last official inspection was in October and it “has no active investigations into these premises,” it said in a statement.