Weeks of community-driven consultation came to a head this week, as a shire-wide survey conducted by community members revealed that Narromine Shire residents are against the controversial Narwonah Project, collecting a 95 per cent vote towards no.

The Narwonah Renewable Energy and Circular Chemical Project that has had locals concerned would see a high-tech facility built south of Narromine that would process waste from other major cities.

The waste would then be turned into green energy or chemicals, with the potential to further be processed into fertiliser.  

Community members have raised many concerns across several meetings since the project was announced in December last year, including hosting a ‘waste incinerator’, being a dumping ground for other cities' waste, and the release of pollutants into the local environment. 

While the meetings were accompanied by representatives of project owners Asia Pacific Waste Solutions (APWS) offering their rebuttals to these concerns, it was ultimately revealed from the private survey that 95 per cent of Narromine Shire residents who voted say no to the project.

The determination on whether the proposed project will proceed will be made by the NSW Government rather than local council due to the size, complexity and significance of the proposal.

The survey results will be passed to relevant ministers and local representatives early next week.

“We’ll ask that they action it, not just receive it. This isn’t a petition,” Interim Spokesperson for the Positive Change Community Group Bruce Maynard said. 

Out of the shire’s 6500 people, 4000 - over 60 per cent of the population - submitted a vote.

The survey included information about the Narwonah Project that was provided by Positive Change Community Group. 

“I’m absolutely overwhelmed at the response rate…I don’t know where you’d find that anywhere else. I think that’s unprecedented from our community,” Mr Maynard said. 

After the Narwonah Project proposal has been settled, the Positive Change Community Group is expecting to cease, formed entirely to communicate the community’s response to the project. 

The shire wide survey designed to measure support for the project also questioned public administration in the shire. 

From that, 89 per cent called for an investigation by the Office of Local Government and ICAC, and 83 per cent called for an administrator to be appointed to the Narromine Shire.