Not the right site: residents protest Plasrefine

The Plasrefine plastic plant to be built only a few hundred metres from schools and residential areas has gained the attention of the Bowral community with multiple protests being held for up to 10 hours a day. At the public meeting on Monday, many people spoke on behalf of our community to change the minds of the state government around Plasrefine.

Many speakers on behalf of our community raised points such as “there is no right site for a plastic plant that emits particles and violates organic compounds.” Although this is the wrong area, it is unreasonable to say there is no right area as this can be used further against the people fighting to stop the government going through with it. This will allow the government to say that if there is no right place then it does not matter where they put it since it is needed either way.

It is ridiculous to put something that could cause so much damage to people’s health so close to the residential areas.

The protest consisted of over 100 speakers and was held in Bowral with many Wingecarribee Shire Council members speaking against the state government and saying how it is ridiculous to put something that could cause so much damage to people’s health so close to the residential areas and the water way that flow into Sydney’s water supplies. More than 13,000 chemicals have been identified to be associated with plastics and the state government is assuring us that there will not be a leak into our environment and that they are aware of how close it is to schools and housing areas and how they will ensure that there will be no malfunctions in their systems to keep the harmful chemicals contained.

Out the front of the town centre in Bowral was hundreds of people chanting “not the right site” until the doors opened, holding signs and having the media pay attention to what they were saying after months of trying to get their attention. More awareness on this topic should be raised as you don’t want to be drinking chemicals in your water or being afraid of going outside.

Sienna W, Year 10