Downes family lodge new proposal for recycling facility in Wollondilly
The Downes family have kicked off early community consultation regarding a proposal for a new recycling centre at their Brownlow Hill heritage farm.
The family has worked and lived on the farm, which sits on the border between Camden and Wollondilly, across six generations and hope to continue working there in future.
The proposed Wattle Creek Recycling Centre is named after the dry creek on Brownlow Hill's western boundary.
The recycling centre, if approved, would be situated on the site of an existing sandstone quarry, which is nearing the end of operations and will soon require rehabilitation.
A Downes family spokesman said the proposal provided an opportunity to continue to preserve and enhance the ecological significance of the farm.
"This proposal will provide an opportunity to sustainably rehabilitate the void left by the quarry and turn it into green space through the planting of 8.5 hectares of new Cumberland Plain Woodland - an important but increasingly rare ecological community," he said.
"Our vision is for Brownlow Hill to be a beacon of environmental, sustainable practice - as demonstrated through our successful inclusion of the property in the NSW Government's Biodiversity Conservation Trust, which permanently locks up land for bio-banking, conservation and rehabilitation.
"But like many people on the land, we face changing times and need to diversify in order to continue to keep the heritage value of the property intact."
The Downes family withdrew a proposal for a larger scale project in 2019 due to community concerns.
Residents were concerned about the size and scale of the planned resource recovery facility and landfill at 217 Brownlow Hill Loop Road, Brownlow Hill.
Under the old proposal the 15-hectare site would have been used to receive, handle and process construction and demolition waste, plastics, tyres, glass, contaminated soils, composting and green waste.
However the new proposal is for recycled construction and demolition waste only.
The family's spokesman said they had listened to community feedback and worked hard to develop a new proposal that fits with the community's vision for the future of the region.
He said the scale of operations, including traffic impacts, proposed for Wattle Creek Recycling Centre was considered to be similar to the current activities at the quarry.
"We are incredibly proud of our region and community, and have been active members since the Downes family first settled here in 1859," he said.
"We are committed to being good neighbours to our fellow residents and, having listened to feedback, have implemented a number of changes to minimise impacts on the environment and our community.
"We are still very early in the planning process and our focus is on consulting the community and stakeholders about the site and its objectives, and giving people the opportunity to provide feedback.
"We're fully committed to being transparent throughout the project."
The state significant project is still in early planning stages.