SITA Australia is looking towards a review of its Allawuna Farm project by the Wheatbelt Joint Development Assessment Panel
The regional regulatory body is the determining authority in SITA's application to develop the site almost 20 kilometres from the York township.
It is at St Ronan's on the Great Southern Highway and accounts for less than 4 per cent of the 1516-hectare Allawuna Farm, which will remain a working farm.
"SITA strongly believes the facility is an important part of regional infrastructure," state general manager Nial Stock said.
"Rigorous planning has gone into the Allawuna Farm project including comprehensive environmental assessments which have found the proposed project does not pose any significant risk to the environment."
The JDAP review means the project is now entering its final regulatory stages.
"We have been open and transparent throughout this process and have given extensive information to the Shire including a number of independent opinions by the Department of Water, the EPA and Main Roads - all pointing to the limited impacts of the project," Mr Stock said.
The JDAP review follows on from the Shire of York's assessment, in which SITA sought to clarify a number of misconceptions that had been circulating in the local community.
The most significant of which concerned the height of the landfill due to the use of two different datums between the concept and detailed planning stages of the project.
"Despite the different datums, the design height and physical depth of the landfill have not changed," Mr Stock said.
In response to claims the changes in datums had an impact on the groundwater measurements referred to in SITA's submission to council, Mr Stock said it was not the case.
"We drilled 13 functional boreholes across the site and measured them from the ground level, which means these measurements are unaffected by the use of differing height datums" Mr Stock said.
With regard to groundwater, an independent assessment by the Department of Water found no significant concerns arising from the proposed landfill with regard to protection of water resources and particularly the Mundaring Catchment.
"Allawuna Farm was selected as the best option following an extensive review of close to 20 potential sites," Mr Stock said.
"It is the most suitable location for the facility with the location off the Swan Coastal Plain and offering separation from ground and surface water and houses."
SITA was committed to ensuring the facility does not detract from the heritage and appeal of the Shire of York.
It won't be visible from key local areas due to it being behind two ridgelines and screened by vegetation, he said.
