1000 Letters and Counting

Community members from Carlton River, Dodges Ferry & Copping have sent over 1000 letters to the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF), protesting the funding application for the proposed hazardous waste dump at Copping in Sorell.

“Residents of the Sorell Municipality do not support the C cell” said local resident Claire Burnet.

“Criteria 4 of the RDAF Guidelines require the funding application to provide evidence of community consultation and community support. Everyone in Tasmania knows the community consultation never happened and our support is clearly non-existent. At the end of the day, this C cell does not meet the criteria to receive Federal funding.”

RDAF is supposed to support community infrastructure such as:

• the economic growth of an area, convention centers, expansion of tourism facilities;
• support for the community, childcare or community centers;
• arts and culture, theatre / performance centers; and
• sport and recreation, upgrades to stadiums and ovals.

“Since when did a hazardous waste dump for storing heavy metals and contaminated soil from Tasmania and Antarctica become Sorell community infrastructure?” said Ms Burnet.

“Since when did Tasman Council, who put in this funding application, become a part of the Sorell community?”

“When you look at all 28 genuine community development Expression’s of Interest (EOI) that went before the RDAF panel, it is impossible to comprehend how a hazardous waste
cell was chosen as one of only three to go forward.”