EXPLAINER: Everything you need to know that led to the Howlong compost plant decision

More than two months after a public meeting in Howlong, JRPP chairman Gordon Kirkby delivered the news that many in the town feared.

The Howlong Community Committee, led by chairman Stuart Sizer, had been staunch in its opposition of the compost facility.

But how did we get here?

Gerogery residents were up in arms with a proposal to build a compost waste facility near Five Mates Bridge.

With council backing, they took the matter all the way to the NSW Land and Environment Court. 

The Sydney court eventually ruled the plant would have an unacceptable impact on the "natural and built environments" in relation to its operations and management, the safe movement of vehicles and on-site water management.

Almost two years after the marathon effort by the company to build the facility at Gerogery concluded, Cleanaway changed tack and announced they wanted to build the facility north of Howlong.

Howlong Community Committee, led by chairman Stuart Sizer, were staunch in its opposition of the compost facility.

Cleanaway national project manager Mathew Kiervan said the proposed new site had the backing of Federation Council, which owns the Howlong tip site.

Former Corowa mayor Paul Miegel confirmed the decision to green light Cleanaway to look into the Howlong tip site wasn’t made in an open council meeting.

More than 120 people attended a ‘heated’ community meeting in Howlong about the proposal.

Howlong resident Mick Woodall greeted the Federation Council representatives at the meeting with a sign expressing his displeasure at the proposed facility.

“It is going to stink and pollute the ground water and will probably eventually get into the river,” he said.

“The fight has only just started.”

Later, in June, senior Federation figures were not among the 120 people who attended a Joint Regional Planning Panel hearing on the facility. 

Administrator Mike Eden, general manager Chris Gillard and remaining members of the Local Representative Committee Paul Miegel, Gail Law, Fiona Schirmer and Daryl Davey were all absent. 

Ellen Lions, who lives 700 metres from the proposed site, said the facility would be a disaster and also took aim at Mr Eden.

“I’m very concerned my lifestyle and that of the Howlong community is under grave threat by the dangers posed by pollution, noise and odour generated by this facility and trucks,” she said.

In June, the Joint Regional Planning Panel asked Cleanaway and Federation Council for more information after indefinitely deferring the matter.

The panel reconvened in August, two months after its first hearing, only to again defer the matter.

Chair Gordon Kirby said the panel members didn’t have enough time to deliberate on the additional information presented by the parties involved before they had to catch flights back to Sydney.

“There are still a lot of issues,” he said.

“There are a number of issues around conditions and issues around information we’ve had from both sides we still need to look through.

“It’s not a decision we want to rush.”

On Tuesday it was announced the compost plant was set to go ahead at Howlong after the Joint Regional Planning Panel gave Cleanaway the green light.

Mr Kirkby said the JRPP didn’t reach the decision lightly.

“The panel acknowledges the complexity of the issues and has taken time and care in its deliberations, including a follow-up meeting with the Howlong Community Committee,” he said.

“We’ve read every submission received during the exhibition period and listened to the community’s views during the public meeting. We sought additional information on key issues including air quality and health impacts, traffic impacts and the development and growth of Howlong. We’re satisfied that all potential impacts can be mitigated.”