Since 2020 Greenspot have owned the site and hope to repurpose it into a multi-use precinct hub for a combination of industrial, commercial, tourism, residential and recreational uses. They say the EfW facility if developed, would occupy less than two per cent of the site at Wallerawang.

Calare Greens candidate Kay Nankervis has attended information nights on EfW and visited Lithgow on May 12 with Greens NSW Senate candidate David Shoebridge to talk to concerned citizens about the proposal and provide some strategies.

"We don't want anything to do with an incinerator that would commit Lithgow and Wallerawang to receiving Sydney's rubbish for decades to come," she said.

She said there were better ways of dealing with waste by cutting what is created.

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"We don't want to accept Sydney's rubbish, we don't want to be the rubbish tip for Sydney and we won't wear it. We are going to help Lithgow fight this all the way," she said.

Mr Shoebridge believes there's an alternative for the Calare electorate to be a clean energy and clean air hub.

"That [EfW] is not the future that Lithgow should have, Lithgow needs to move away from a century or more of dirty power and dirty power generation and reimagine itself as a clean energy and clean air hub, that's an exciting future for Lithgow and the waste to energy incinerator has no place in that," he said.

Regarding the Environment Impact Study (EIS) that would be carried out for the proposed EfW, Ms Nankervis said she didn't trust it.

"I don't think an EIS when this proposal has got as far as it has is particularly satisfying," she said.

"We can't trust what that EIS is going to do, they say it's not going to go ahead [if unsafe] but they're putting an awful lot of energy into talking to the community and making us like them, I don't trust them."

In a statement to the Lithgow Mercury Greenspot responded to negative views put forward at a meeting convened on May 3 by the Greater Lithgow Community Action Group at Wallerawang, where a number of residents and councillors attended to discuss EfW concerns.

Greenspot CEO Brett Hawkins attended the meeting and listened to arguments put forward where comparisons were drawn between modern EfW facilities and health impacts associated with the use of Agent Orange in the 1970s during the Vietnam War.

"I do not believe that in the 2020s any facility would be approved which has health impacts of that kind. No-one, especially the Environment Protection Authority would support that. But as I mentioned on the night, there is also a very different view put forward by leading global experts on the science," he said.

Greenspot stated that if the EfW project reaches the point of a formal proposal, a human health risk assessment, air quality modelling, rail and traffic impact assessment and other studies will be required as part of an application process.

"Any proposal would have to meet or exceed world's best standards and any proposed facility would require data from, and comparison to existing operational 'reference facilities' of similar size, technology and waste stream for the NSW Government to fully consider the project's viability," they said.

"An EfW facility in NSW would not be permitted for development if scientific modelling predicted that the emissions are likely to contain pollutants that exceed levels deemed safe by the NSW Environment Protection Authority."

"If ultimately approved, emissions from an operational EfW facility would be monitored constantly to ensure compliance."

Residents have shared their concerns on emissions, water and transport around the EfW and despite an attempt from Greenspot to keep the community informed with consultation nights, there has been a negative response from many, dubbing Lithgow to be known as 'Sydney's rubbish dump' if the facility gets a green light.

Greenspot has plans to host a community event at the Wallerawang Power Station in mid June where its vision for the site and the area, including the potential of EfW, will be discussed further.

The company said the possibility of an EfW facility at Wallerawang could be a catalyst for enhancing the region's economy and providing 1000 direct construction jobs over three years and 85 permanent operational jobs.

Mr Hawkins said the facility would play a part in addressing the urgent waste problem in NSW.

"It aligns with the State Government's policies around waste management and regional investment and development. Other countries have shown that it's safe and innovative. We believe that this could completely change the trajectory of the Lithgow economy," he said.

He said Greenspot wants Wallerawang and the Lithgow area to be seen as a safe and stable place to do business and a great place for people to live in and visit.

"It can be a place where solutions are provided for the most complex of challenges including the energy transition, food and water security, recycling and waste management, and the onshoring of manufacturing. EfW can play a role in all of these things and that is why we believe the opportunity should be considered fully for Wallerawang," he said.

Greenspot stated in their release that there are currently more than 1700 operational EfW facilities across North America, Europe and Asia and that energy from waste isn't new, it's only new in Australia.

Australia's leading sustainable waste management company Cleanaway has also been working with Greenspot on the potential for an EfW facility at Wallerawang.

"Modern EfW technology is incredibly sophisticated. It has been developed based on over 50 years of operational experience in Europe in particular.

"It is safe and can play a very important role in waste management in Australia by diverting non-recyclable waste from landfills which are already nearing capacity. At the same time it can unlock a range of exciting opportunities for adjacent industry," Cleanaway project director James Pearce said.

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