Residents of Tamalanrea, South Sulawesi, Reject PSEL Site for Environmental and Health Reasons

Residents of Tamalanrea sub-district, Makassar City, have voiced strong objections and rejection of plans to build a Waste-to-Energy project (PSEL) that has been decided to continue in their area.

This rejection emerged after the government, through the Minister of Finance, decided that the national strategic project would proceed by the consortium PT Sarana Utama Synergy (SUS), involving Shanghai SUS Environment investors along with PT Grand Puri Indonesia. The decision was made amid regulatory adjustments from Presidential Regulation No. 35 of 2018 to Presidential Regulation No. 109 of 2025.

Haji Akbar, a community leader from RW Mula Baru, Bira Ward, Tamalanrea Sub-district, emphasised that the residents’ rejection is against the construction site deemed unsuitable, not the PSEL programme as a whole.

“We deeply regret the Finance Minister’s decision on the PSEL location in Tamalanrea. Our rejection is not against the Waste-to-Energy programme, but the location. It is too close to residential areas and poses risks to the environment and health,” said Akbar on Thursday evening (7/5).

He stated that around 98 percent of residents reject the PSEL construction in Tamalanrea Sub-district due to unsupported access factors. According to him, the community was never involved in the site determination from the beginning.

“We were never involved. Suddenly we only found out there is a PSEL here. This is what we regret,” he said.

Akbar described the residents’ concerns about the long-term impacts of the project, particularly regarding potential environmental pollution and health disruptions.

He explained that the geographical conditions and access to the area are also serious issues. The road to the site is considered narrow and could worsen truck traffic carrying waste.

“This location is unsuitable. The access road is narrow; it will be passed by waste vehicles. The impact will certainly affect the surrounding environment,” Akbar stated.

He added that residents have repeatedly conveyed their concerns, even prohibiting investors from entering to continue the project.

“This concerns the environment and public health in the long term,” he asserted.

Akbar said that local residents view the central government’s decision as not considering the real conditions on the ground. Residents feel that community aspirations are ignored in the new decision-making process.

“The central government does not know the conditions here. They do not think about the losses to residents. But they still give PT SUS the opportunity to continue this project,” he revealed.

In addition to the rejection, Akbar also demanded full transparency from the government and developers regarding the PSEL project implementation. They request a comprehensive explanation of the environmental impact analysis (AMDAL) and mitigation steps to minimise risks to the surrounding community.

“We only want transparency. Explain openly what the impacts are and how the mitigation will be,” said Akbar.

It is known that the Makassar City Government (Pemkot) under the leadership of Munafri Arifuddin continues to demonstrate real commitment in advocating for community interests, particularly the aspirations of Tamalanrea residents who feel threatened by the PSEL.

This step proves that the aspirations of Makassar residents are not only heard but fought for concretely in every national strategic forum.

Pemkot Makassar ensures that the PSEL project continuation still runs in accordance with the latest provisions, namely Presidential Regulation No. 109 of 2025, as a refinement of the previous regulation.

Guided by that regulation, the project financing scheme is now arranged more realistically and no longer burdens the regional budget, including the elimination of tipping fee obligations for local governments. This also affirms that the Makassar PSEL development remains within a strong, transparent, and accountable legal framework. It has even been proposed for construction at the Antang Landfill, Manggala Sub-district.

Member of the Makassar DPRD, Nasir Rurung Tommo, acknowledged that Pemkot has guided residents’ aspirations well. He expressed support for Pemkot Makassar’s steps in proposing the relocation of the project site to the Antang Final Disposal Site (TPA), Manggala Sub-district.

“We do not understand the central government’s considerations from Mr. Finance Minister. Meanwhile, the Antang TPA location is a more rational choice compared to the initial plan in Tamalanrea Sub-district,” he said.

As a people’s representative from electoral district (Dapil) IV covering Manggala and Panakkukang Sub-districts, Nasir emphasised that changing the location without clear basis could create new problems, both administratively and in project implementation on the ground.

“Moreover, financing aspects, especially operational costs for waste transportation if the PSEL location is outside the Antang TPA,” he said.

“If outside the TPA, the operational cost of waste relocation could reach around Rp20 billion per year. This will certainly be an additional burden for the government,” Nasir added.

Furthermore, Nasir mentioned that the Antang TPA has several advantages that make it suitable as the PSEL construction site. In addition to having ample land availability, the area has also been included in previous waste management infrastructure planning.

With that readiness, the construction is deemed able to proceed more effectively without starting from scratch.

“In Antang, the land is available and the infrastructure has been planned. This certainly makes project implementation easier,” Nasir concluded.