The Southern Beaches Conservation Society rallied well over 30 people to the State Parliament Steps to launch the ‘Dump the Toxic Dump’ Info Pack / Report with CD: “A Better Waste Management Future for Tasmania, 2012 (SBCS)” yesterday.
Conservation Society President, Angela Marsh, thanked all for attending, but wasn’t quite so happy with the total lack of our political masters’ presence.
“Only Andrew Wilkie MP attended, a federal member of parliament again committing to carry the questions to the federal parliament.
“Where were Mulder and Valentine? Both have attended previous rallies and events and spoken in support of the need to answer the questions raised by locals and people from further afield,” questioned Angela.
“Not one question raised since August has been answered since the decision to permit the dumping of hazardous waste was issued by Sorell Council in a total consultative vacuum.”
These comments come right on top of Sorell Council’s apparent intransigence to consider 20% of its population’s concern over the approval of a C-Cell at Copping.
As recently as Tuesday a meeting was held with Christine Bell and Sorell councillors. As yet there has been no official statement or confirmation of a meeting between Council and the Southern Beaches Conservation Society, ‘dump the toxic dump’ proponents.
“Maybe our Sorell councillors are seriously considering the information packs that were delivered earlier in the week?” suggested Angela.
“The original petition was presented to council back in October last year. Signatures are now well over 2500 if you count the out of area endorsements.”
The report:
• underlines the discrepancies in the selection of the Copping site for the C cell
• discusses the likelihood of heavy leachate contamination in this vulnerable location
• promotes the National Policy on waste management and State Strategy, which is in direct opposition to that of putting hazardous waste into landfill
• makes recommendations to government for alternative solutions
This high level of community concern resulted in the formation of the SBCS and undertaking of the research and collation of the reference material contained in this document which concludes with recommendations for an alternative toxic waste strategy.
New concerns are now being raised over a Regional Development Australia fund application undertaken by the Tasman council to fund the construction of the ‘C’ cell at Copping in the municipality of Sorell.
