Tuggeranong residents concerned about a plastics-to-fuel plant proposed for Hume have been given an extra 20 days to have their views heard.
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The Environment and Planning Directorate has extended the consultation period on Foy Group's draft environmental impact statement after receiving 50 submissions to the 125-page document.
Residents in nearby suburbs have been vocal in their concerns about the effect the company's plant may have on the region. Foy Group has assured the facility, which will convert 200 tonnes of waste plastics into transport fuels every day, will have minimal impact, promising residents will be unable to smell or hear the factory.
A spokeswoman for Foy Group has previously tried to calm fears by pointing to a lack of incidences or complaints relating to the company's plant on the Central Coast. However, a Central Coast Council spokeswoman said Foy's Berkeley Vale site did not convert plastics into fuel.
"The Foy Group have lodged a development application which seeks to build a plastics to fuel processing plant on the site, however this application has not yet been determined," she said.
Company managing director Stuart Clark met with Tuggeranong resident groups on Thursday and welcomed having more time to hear the community's feedback.
"It's good news I guess because a concern for a lot of people was they didn't have an opportunity to engage with us," he said.
"You can only tell the truth, so whether people believe it or not, that's their prerogative. Overall it's a good project and we hope to be good neighbours."
Gilmore man Reg Philp is one of many who is not convinced. While welcoming an extension to the consultation period, he described the process as a "farce".
"We are very close to the site but only 40 per cent of the people in the street were letterboxed, and if you talk to anybody in the Gilmore area they don't know it's going on," Mr Philp said.
"There are some people who are assured by the environmental impact statement but I'm not one of them."
The Greens have chalked up the extension of what was a four-week consultation period as a win.
Brindabella Greens candidate Michael Mazengarb wrote to Environment and Planning Directorate Director-General Dorte Ekelund to express his concerns on September 29 and received a response this week.
"I am mindful that the draft EIS is a large document and contains a range of technical material," acting Director-General Gary Rake wrote to Mr Mazengarb.
"In the circumstances, I have decided to extend public consultation of the draft EIS for a further 20 working days."
Submissions close November 2.
