Decision needed on method to kickstart Jelutong project
GEORGE TOWN: It’s probably the last piece of open real estate in this land-scarce city that sits in a prime area, nestled between high-end Karpal Singh Drive and the condominiums next to the Penang Bridge.
There’s only one problem. It’s a landfill – and getting it ready for development could be costly.
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The RM1bil Jelutong landfill rehabilitation project, planned some three years ago, does not look like it is taking off anytime soon.
State government sources say the plan “has not even left the drawing board”.
“The methodology and technology could not be agreed upon since a project developer was appointed back in 2020,” the source said.
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The landfill on the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, a mere 3km from the heart of the city’s heritage enclave, has been dubbed a “gold mine” because it is the only large swathe of land left in the town.
It has been estimated that it could bring in billions of ringgit in gross development value.
A developer was formally appointed to jointly develop the land with the state, the source said, but the developer’s recommendations have not been approved.
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“The soil boring tests and the sea depth tests have been done. The shore re-alignment plans, drafted. But the state’s technical committees can neither say yes nor no to the plans,” a source revealed.
The area had once been a sanitary landfill but since 2002, only construction debris and garden waste have been dumped there.
Although the task of rehabilitating the landfill, spanning over 34ha and containing 13.5 million tonnes of waste, may seem daunting, the source said it simply required a “kickstart”.
“It is not hard to rehabilitate the landfill but someone has to make a decision on which method to use.
“Work was supposed to start this July but there are too many stakeholders eyeing it and it is viewed as sensitive,” said the source.
To rehabilitate the landfill, which now stands 39.5m (130ft) high, extensive excavation, shore re-alignment and land re-engineering would be necessary.
“To address soil settlement, the hill must be lowered, a membrane installed and foundation supports installed.
“We cannot simply push the excess into the sea. We must separate the waste to recover useful materials.
“Plastic waste can be shredded and compacted for use as barriers while construction waste such as rocks and concrete can be crushed and used to create artificial reefs,” he said.
The source said transporting the waste away would only transfer the problem and result in substantial carbon footprints associated with long-distance transport.
Care would also have to be taken with the existing two drainage outlets connected to the Indah Water Konsortium sewage treatment plant near the landfill.
However, the source felt there was still time because the developer, PLB Engineering, had been given 15 years to achieve the rehabilitation.
“The actual work might take five years, once the plans and details are ironed out,” he said.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had stated that upon completion, the company would develop 75% of the land and surrender 25% to the state government.
About 30% of the additional land would also be created from a minor reclamation at the site during the shore re-alignment.
The company has been given a 99-year lease on the land.
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