It’s not too late for further consultation over Copping

Southern Waste Solutions CEO, Christine Bell

The Tasmanian Greens today (Wed) expressed concern that despite the new consultation process under way by Southern Waste Solutions for the Copping C Cell development, the process might have failed to meet the Acceptable Standard set out in the Landfill Sustainability Guide – Tasmania 2004.

The guide provides information for regulators, consultants, operators and proponents of landfills, and in relation to community liaison it states as follows:

2.2 COMMUNITY LIAISON

Acceptable Standard

Community liaison should be conducted throughout the life of all landfills, commencing during site selection to ensure local communities are informed and aware of the proposal. Community liaison should be conducted in an open and timely fashion, and allow local knowledge to be obtained.

Recommendation

The community should be provided with adequate information and opportunity to comment. This may be provided through public meetings, information booths at local events etc. The detail of information provided will vary from proposal to proposal but should always include an assessment of the potential impacts of a proposal on the local community (e.g. employment opportunities, altered traffic volumes, noise and odour).

It is important that the community is able to readily contact an informed representative of the proponent regarding landfill site selection, and that a response is provided to any concerns raised in a timely fashion. A record of community comments regarding potential landfill sites and responses should be maintained by the proponent.” (my emphasis T.M.)

“Whilst Southern Waste Solutions has acknowledged that the public consultation was not adequate and has now going through a month long consultation period, I am not hearing any such acknowledgment, or attempt at rectification from the two regulators, the EPA and the Sorell Council,” Mr Morris said

“The community should be provided with adequate information and opportunity to comment and it should have been commenced many months, if not years ago.”

“There is a question as to whether this proposal meets the Acceptable Standard when there are a significant number of community members who clearly were not aware that the proposal for a ‘c’ cell at the Copping waste facility was being proposed until after it had been approved.”

“The EPA and the Sorell Council need to accept their share of the responsibility for the failure to carry out adequate or timely consultation and do whatever is necessary to make sure that the proposal fully meets the standard clearly laid out in the Landfill Sustainability Guide”

Link: http://epa.tas.gov.au/Documents/Landfill_Sustainability_Guide_2004.pdf