THE proposed York landfill development has been turned down by the Development Assessment Panel.
The panel, comprising David Gray, Robert Fenn, Terrence Tyzack, councillor Mark Duperouzel and Cr Matthew Reid, voted 3-2 against the proposal at a meeting at the York Town Hall on April 14.
About 200 people attended the meeting.
It was determined a landfill was inconsistent with the zoning for the farming property, which is listed as being in the General Agricultural Zone.
Waste management company SITA will appeal and have 28 days to do so.
The matter will now head to the State Administrative Tribunal.
The plan put forward by SITA would see a 1500-hectare farm, 18 kilometres west of York, turned into a landfill with a 37-year life expectancy.
The community's response was clear with all but one of the 212 public submissions criticising the plan.
SITA WA state general manager Nial Stock said the decision was disappointing as SITA remained confident the landfill was a safe, suitable and appropriate development for the proposed site.
"We don't believe this report was a fair and balanced assessment of our planning application," Mr Stock said.
"Even during the DAP meeting, one of the independent panel members raised concerns about the defensibility of some of the reasons provided for not permitting the application.
"We will ask for a review by the tribunal as we believe this will allow for a fair examination of the project."
Mr Stock said the Allawuna Farm project was consistent with the objectives and purpose of the York General Agriculture zone.
"Rigorous planning has gone into the proposal including comprehensive environmental assessments, which have found the proposed project does not pose any significant risk to the environment," Mr Stock said.
Avon Valley Residents Association chairman Keith Schekkerman said he was pleased with the panel's decision.
"It was a fantastic result for the York community," he said.
"We hope the appeal will be dismissed as well, and I have a strong feeling it will be."
With York council and the panel rejecting the proposal, Mr Schekkerman said the landfill fight was two thirds complete.
He called for a proper location for metropolitan waste and said the last thing Wheatbelt people needed was more trucks on the road.
"We expected the decision because the case for the proposal is weak - it's an economic argument which is not environmentally or socially acceptable," Mr Schekkerman said.
"There has been scepticism in the York community about opposing this, but it shows if we stick together there are positive outcomes."