Waroona Shire Council approves landfill facility on Buller Road site at centre of defamation case involving MP

The proposed landfill site embroiled in a two-year legal battle between Perth businessman Greg Poland and Nine News website WAtoday has been approved by the Waroona Shire Council. Councillors voted on Tuesday December 7 to approve the inert landfill, waste sorting and recycling facility at Lot 3 Buller Road, subject to 24 conditions regarding the clearing of vegetation, groundwater monitoring, and upgrades to the local road network. The application, which was passed by a simple majority, was made on behalf of Peel Landfill Facility, which intends to develop the landfill facility on the site that has been cleared for previous sand excavation. The landfill will be restricted to class-one landfill, or inert waste only, meaning waste which is neither chemically nor biologically reactive, and will decompose not at all or very slowly. The Harvey-Waroona Reporter understands the land on Buller Road plays a part in a defamation case between former Peel Development Commission chair and developer Mr Poland and WAtoday about two articles published on the site in 2019. Mr Poland claimed he was defamed by the two articles and sought to have Federal MP Andrew Hastie and two staff members added to the case because he also believes “they participated ... in a conspiracy by unlawful means to harm him”. Mr Poland claims the conspiracy involved a secret — and potentially illegal — recording of a meeting, which circulated around Mr Hastie’s inner circle before being provided to WAtoday reporters. The case is now centred on the recording of the meeting made at the Subiaco Hotel between Mr Poland, Aaron Grainger of Peel Landfill Facility, and two others.