SMRC Plant Not Financially Viable: “It Will Be Closed, Not Just For Odour Pollution But Because Of Excessive Costs,” Said Dr Nahan.
Dr Mike Nahan, the Member for Riverton said the end game was nigh for the SMRC’s composting plant in Bannister Road, Canning Vale. “It will be closed, not just for odour pollution but because of excessive costs,” said Dr Nahan.
Dr Nahan said the SMRC plant was modeled on a similar plant in Cobb County, Georgia USA. The SMRC sent representatives to the USA in 1996 to view that plant’s operations and based their decision to proceed with the plant in Canning Vale on Cobb County’s experience.
“The experience of the Cobb County plant has been eerily predictive of the problems that have overwhelmed the SMRC’s Canning Vale plant. The US plant has been plagued by fire, odour pollution, community protest, empty promises, poor management, no market for output, cost blow-outs, and rising debt,” said Dr Nahan.
“The SMRC composting plant can no longer be justified financially. Its business case has evaporated. Since 2004, its costs for processing a tonne of municipal solid waste have increased from $36 per tonne to $137 per tonne in 2009/10. That is an increase of 400% in the last five years.” — See graph below and more on SMRC Plant Not Financially Viable
