Energy-from-Waste Community Working Party

Parkes Shire Council has established the Energy-from-Waste (EfW) Community Working Party to provide a structured and transparent forum for community engagement regarding the proposed Energy-from-Waste facility. The Working Party brings together representatives from across the Parkes Shire community, including residents, landholders, businesses, community organisations and other stakeholders, to ensure that local voices, concerns and expertise are heard, considered and communicated directly to Council.

The Committee was established following Council's resolution to formally reject and strongly oppose the proposed Energy-from-Waste facility within the Parkes Shire. Recognising the significance of the proposal and the level of community interest, Council has created this Working Party to facilitate informed discussion, share information, identify potential impacts and provide recommendations for Council's consideration. The Working Party will consider matters including:

Environmental impacts and risks
Community health and wellbeing considerations
Infrastructure and transport implications
Emergency preparedness and response requirements
Independent expert advice commissioned by Council where appropriate
Community concerns, questions and feedback

Operating in an advisory capacity, the Working Party does not make decisions on behalf of Council. Instead, it serves as a mechanism for constructive dialogue, evidence-based discussion and community participation. Recommendations developed by the Working Party will be presented to Council for formal consideration.

Council is committed to ensuring the community remains informed throughout the process. Meeting agendas, business papers and minutes will be publicly available through Council's website, supporting transparency and accountability in the Committee's work.

Community involvement is central to the success of the Working Party. Council will seek broad representation across the Shire to ensure diverse perspectives and local knowledge help inform discussions and recommendations. Through collaboration, respectful engagement and informed consideration of available information, the Energy-from-Waste Community Working Party will play an important role in helping Council understand community concerns and advocate for the interests of the Parkes Shire community.

Membership and Participation

Membership

Council is seeking nominations from individuals and organisations representing a broad cross-section of the community, including:

Traditional Owners
Nearby landholders
Local business and industry representatives
Agricultural stakeholders
Community groups
Representatives of relevant organisations and bodies

Council will appoint up to ten (10) community members and is committed to achieving balanced and diverse representation across the Parkes Shire community.

Who Should Apply?

Council encourages applications from individuals who:

Can represent community views in a constructive and respectful manner
Have relevant skills, experience, expertise or local knowledge
Are willing to engage collaboratively with other members
Can commit the necessary time to participate in meetings and review information provided

Applicants nominating on behalf of an organisation must be authorised to represent that organisation.

Time Commitment

Members should be aware that participation will require an ongoing commitment throughout the operation of the Working Party, including:

Attendance at meetings, generally held monthly or as required
Reviewing meeting papers and supporting information prior to meetings
Actively contributing to discussions and consideration of issue

Important Information

Members of the Working Party will be required to:

Comply with Council's Code of Conduct
Participate respectfully and constructively in discussions
Understand that the Working Party operates in an advisory capacity only and cannot make decisions on behalf of Council
Understand that members are not authorised to make public statements on behalf of Council

Appointments to the Working Party will be made at Council's discretion, having regard to achieving a balanced representation of community interests and perspectives.

For further information, please review the Terms of Reference(PDF, 157KB) for the Energy-from-Waste Community Working Party or contact Council.

Expressions of Interest

Parkes Shire Council is seeking community members and stakeholder representatives who are interested in contributing to informed and constructive discussions regarding the proposed Energy-from-Waste facility. If you would like to be considered for membership of the Energy-from-Waste Community Working Party, please complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form via the link below. Council encourages applications from individuals and organisations with a broad range of experiences, perspectives and local knowledge to help ensure diverse community representation on the Committee.

Interested in joining the Working Party?

To ensure Traditional Owner perspectives are represented, the EOI process has been reopened from 8 July to 15 July at 4pm for Traditional Owners and Traditional Owner groups.

Expression of Interest

For more information about the proposed Energy from Waste facility, visit Parkes Shire Council Energy from Waste Information Page.