Tip surprise startles region
THE unexpected announcement of a plan to create a landfill at Leongatha South was brought forward in a rush to meet a deadline.
Veolia had proposed to reveal the proposal within a month to coincide with a call for expressions of interest for new landfills to meet growing demand from Melbourne.
But the Melbourne Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group revised the deadline to last Friday, forcing Veolia to declare its intentions before the announcement was taken out of its hands. Veolia has nominated Leongatha South as a potential new landfill site.
Even South Gippsland Shire Council did not know about the plan until contacted by Leongatha South residents wanting to know if the proposal was true.
Veolia consultant Max Spedding said, “We expect a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) reaction of some sort but we believe that by treating everyone fairly and providing information, we will be giving everyone an opportunity to have their say and we will listen.”
Rubbish will come from homes and businesses in the City of Greater Dandenong, which includes the suburbs of Dandenong, Springvale and Keysborough; and potentially Mornington Peninsula Shire Council if Veolia wins a contract with that council.
Leongatha South dairy farmer Max Behmer was concerned the landfill would pollute the countryside and risk the health of livestock.
“I have not seen a garbage tip yet where there isn’t security fencing lined with strewn rubbish,” he said.
“Once that rubbish starts blowing all over this part of South Gippsland, our cows are going to be swallowing it and our cows are worth a couple of thousand dollars a head.”
Leongatha South dairy farmer Gordon Vagg said developing the former quarry into a rubbish tip was a bad move.
“If this council lets it happen, they all want booting out. It is just not on. We have enough trouble dealing with our own rubbish,” he said.
“It is a huge hole that would be well below the clay pan. Anything could seep in and contaminate the ground water supply and stuff that up for all of South Gippsland.”
Mr Vagg said the 20 trucks a day delivering rubbish to the landfill would have an enormous impact on roads.
“If they let it happen, it is there for life. It is not good for them to even consider it,” he said.
Leongatha South farmer Paul Norton felt the project was a fait accompli.
“I believe the (council) officers will recommend councillors pass the project. If council votes it down, Veolia will either go to VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) or the minister. It is all over red rover,” he said.
New use: an aerial image of the existing quarry at Leongatha South that could become a dumping ground for Melbourne’s rubbish.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Aug 11 2015. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
