Economy
Tasmanians should be ashamed of their political representatives
Carlton River Catchment & Southern Beaches Conservation Society
Dump the Toxic Dump
TASMANIANS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEIR POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES
Local communities surrounding the Carlton River and the Southern Beaches are bitterly disappointed this morning (Thursday, Oct 18) after Liberal and Labor members yesterday defeated Greens MP Tim Morris’ motion to refer the proposed hazardous materials waste dump to an Environment, Resources & Development Committee for further assessment.
Mr Morris’ motion to the House of Assembly requested that issues arising over public consultation and the overall necessity for such a proposal be examined under the 2004 Sustainable Landfill Guide and other relevant Commonwealth and State waste management strategies.
The decision by Labor and Liberal members to ignore this request, in support of the landfill development has consigned Tasmania to decades of worst practice in relation to hazardous material waste management. The Commonwealth National Waste Policy and the Tasmanian Waste & Resource Management Strategy both recognise landfill as the least desirable option.
Shane Humpherys from the Carlton River Catchment & Southern Beaches Conservation Society said “Tasmanians should be ashamed of their political representatives ignoring best practice in relation to waste management.”
“Only 20-30% of all Tasmania’s waste is diverted from landfill, whereas the national average is 60% and increasing. The action of Liberal and Labor members yesterday condemns 100% of Tasmania’s and Antarctica’s hazardous waste to landfill. This is appalling and in complete contrast to best practice and trends throughout the rest of Australia and the developed World.”
Alternate reprocessing and reuse technologies as encouraged by the National Waste Policy for hazardous materials will generate far greater levels of investment and employment in Tasmania than a ‘hole in the ground’ landfill development. The National Waste Policy fully supports transboundary movements of waste where economics and best practice dictate better outcomes.
This is consistent with viewing waste as an economic resource; not something to be simply discarded. State Labor and Liberal members seem incapable of accepting this new paradigm in waste management.
“It is clear that the State Labor and Liberal parties are satisfied to accept a second rate outcome for waste management in Tasmania. They have continued to ignore the guiding principles of the National Waste Policy and the Tasmanian Waste & Resource Management Strategy and in doing so condemn Tasmania’s waste management to the worst in the nation for decades to come,” said Mr Humpherys.
Earlier on Tasmanian Times: Dear Tim Morris. Tim Morris responds
• Southern Waste Solutions to form Community Reference Group
Southern Waste Solutions (SWS) will call for applications from the community, including
representatives from local organisations and businesses within the Copping area, to join a
Community Reference Group in response to community feedback received on the C-cell.
The aim of the Community Reference Group will be for SWS to keep the community informed on
the status and progress of the project and to take feedback and input on the day-to-day
operations of the C-cell and existing landfill.
SWS Chief Executive Officer Christine Bell said the group would hold regular meetings and issues
raised would be posted on the SWS website to ensure anyone with an interest in the project
would be kept fully informed.
“The establishment of a Community Reference Group is just one of the actions identified by SWS
in response to community feedback received during our extended community engagement
period,” Ms Bell said.
“We have drafted a Community Response Plan, which also includes considering an air and water
monitoring program, engaging with relevant organisations to support regular water quality
monitoring in the region.
“Should this recommendation be accepted, air and water monitoring data would be regularly
updated on the SWS website.”
Just under 50 submissions were received by SWS during an extended community engagement
period initiated by the company last month to address community queries about the C-cell.
Ms Bell said SWS was in the process of reviewing and responding to submissions, before a final
submission was prepared for the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
“Once we’ve completed our review process, we will send a submission to the EPA along with a
database of all the questions we received from the community as well as our responses for their
records,” Ms Bell said.
“It has been a valuable process to listen to the community’s concerns about the proposal and we
feel that many initial fears have been allayed through this extended communication period, but
we appreciate there is still a way to go.
“We thank the community for its feedback and we will continue to provide regular updates
throughout the review process on our website at http://swstas.com.au.”