EXPOSING DEVELOPERS WHO FAIL TO APPRECIATE AND RESPECT COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND SPIRIT OF THE LAND

TOXIC WASTE DUMP was PLANNED FOR BADDAGINNIE (NORTH EAST VICTORIA).

New site planned to be built at Hattah/Nowingi in north western Victoria (June 04).

Who are the biggest producers of toxic waste in Victoria?

QUOTES OF THE YEAR

"A number of old and existing landfills are situated in close proximity to each other in the Clayton South area about 20 km south-east of Melbourne. The leachate from these landfills is polluting high quality groundwater aquifers. This threat to groundwater resources is triggered by the landfills being located above unconsolidated sandy aquifers. Another aspect which further complicates the issue is that sand mining in the area has artificially depressed the groundwater. Given these conditions each landfill has a different type of containment system and the groundwater monitoring requirements vary for each. The main issue now is to establish the severity of the environmental impacts and how to protect the groundwater resources in this area from these impacts..." (EPA Victoria)

"The specification for landfill caps to meet regulations has become ever more prescriptive over the years. This reflects the regulatory goal of providing ever greater protection for the environment from leachate excursions through basal liners, which are driven by hydrostatic head resultant from rainfall infiltration through the cap. Cap specifications also seek to improve gas-harvesting potential. Current Victorian Guidelines (so called Best Practice) specify the use of geomembrane layers in the cap as well as in the basal liner as well as a series of layers of different layers each with specific purposes. All of this is very expensive and questionable in effectiveness. Recent data compiled by Bonaparte and others (2002) for the US EPA show that even with multiple geomembrane layers in the basal liner, leachate leaks through the upper geomembrane barrier layer. Average leakage rates ranged between: 5 and 440 l/ha-day during initial landfill operation (a few lifts with only daily cover). 1 and 360 l/ha-day during the active period of landfill operation (intermediate cover). 2 and 60 l/ha-day after closure of the landfill cell. In addition, landfill operators are looking at up to 30 years of post closure management and the provision of very significant financial assurances which must be maintained over this time to provide for any failures in the engineered systems that may occur in that period. These aspects add to the cost of the period at a time when there is no income from the site..." (Sustainable Landfill Design by Monitoring & Managing Cap Infiltration. Jorgenson, Hancock, Fox-Lane, Gallagher, Buss)

OTHER WASTE DUMP PROPOSAL SITES

NO TOXIC DUMP IN VICTORIA'S FOOD BOWL

On Wednesday, November 13th 2003, the State Labor Government announced that there were three sites for a proposed Toxic Waste Dump, one of which is Baddaginnie/Violet Town. Within four days of this announcement community outrage had resulted in a public meeting which overflowed the Violet Town Community Complex.

Following this, a broad community group has galvanised itself to fight this proposal.

The facts are:

*The facility will hold industrial waste from manufacturing industries such as, paint, plastics, chemicals such as arsenic, lead, organophosphates, white good by products etc.

*Privately owned land will be compulsory acquired by the government.

*Evidence from real estate agents indicates that land enquiries and values have already dropped off markedly.

*96% of the wastes are produced in Melbourne.

*There will be planning restrictions within 5km of the study area.

(Above) December 21, 2003: Local residents block Hume Highway for one hour to protest against the proposed toxic dump.

Immediate Concerns:

*Located in the catchment of the food bowl of Victoria.

*Site is prime agricultural land.

*Positioned on a flood plain where recent flooding has ocurred.

*Dump Ownership could be in hands of private operators

*Lack of consultation with landowners, adjoining landowners and the community.

*Against the "Green and Clean" direction promoted by Shire of Strathbogie.

*Located at the gateway to the NE snowfields and tourism of the area.

*Centre of the Heartlands Conservation Project.

(Above) December 21, 2003: Local residents block Hume Highway for one hour to protest against the proposed toxic dump.

OTHER WASTE DUMP PROPOSAL SITES

Ouyen (Tiega): Five hours from Melbourne and close to Ouyen, Tiega is in the heart of Mallee wheat country. The agricultural land around Tiega has a massive output and sustains a strong local economy. A toxic dump located in this town could devastate this industry and ruin the local economy. Further, residents along the Calder, Western and Sunraysia Highways will not appreciate huge trucks carrying toxic waste rumbling through their towns night and day.

Ballarat (Pittong): This area lies between Linton and Skipton, not far from Ballarat and just over about an hour and a half west of Melbourne. It is located in a prime agricultural and tourist area and has many beautiful creeks and streams close to the site where the State Government may build a toxic waste dump. The area's local Kaolin facility will have to be demolished as it is in the way of the proposed toxic dump facility, costing 40 local jobs. Further, one of the two Pittong waste sites has creeks that flow into Lake Corangamite - a declared RAMSAR wetlands area. An industrial site is a better location for a waste facility than this small country village.

Thursday 4 March 2004: Hundreds of people rally outside Parliament House in Melbourne opposing the planned toxic waste dumps. People travelled from Pittong, Ouyen and Violet Town to attend this important rally. The rally received positive media throughout Victoria.

Thursday 4 March 2004: Robert 'Headmaster' Doyle, leader of the Victorian Liberals gives the punters a blast of hot air through the megaphone. Peter Ryan the head of the Victorian Nationals waits for his chance to speak. Both of these pollies were given petitions with thousands of names opposing the waste dump proposals in country Victoria.

Address Complaint Letters:

Hon Steve Bracks MLA

Hon Peter Batchelor MLA

Mr Bill Sykes MLA

Hon Robert Mitchell MLC

Hon John Thwaites

All at - Parliament House, Melbourne, 3000

Sophie Panopoulous - Federal Member for Indi

17 Murphy Street, Wangaratta.