A Hume councillor has labelled sections of the Somerton industrial precinct as a “toxic jungle” and called for an audit to prevent illegal dumping in the area.
Cr Joseph Haweil hopes the audit – which will be conducted by council and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) – will lead to the creation of an action plan to stop the dumping.
Speaking at the August 26 council meeting, Cr Haweil said he was most concerned about the south-west corner of the precinct near the junction of George Street and Mills Avenue.
“What should be a road, reserve or open space … now resembles a toxic jungle with the dumping so significant that the years of fill now resembles a hilly landscape,” he said.
“Aside from the industrial volumes of soil, rubbish, broken down semi-trailers, excavators, tyres and commercial waste, the real worry is what lies beneath. Perhaps asbestos and all manners of dangerous material, the area is basically a danger to public health.”
Cr Haweil said the industrial precinct has been mistreated for over two decades.
A report to council stated issues began to arise in the area when it subdivided and there were no requirements to construct roads, lots or provide any services in the area.
Therefore, the lots in this area largely do not have any services provided and roads and drainage infrastructure are unconstructed which limits what can occur in the area, the report stated.
“I brought this motion tonight to address one of the most egregious cases of disregard for local and state laws, contempt for our environment and industrial and local scale dumping that I have ever seen in my time here on council,” Cr Haweil said.
“A site where the obvious inaction over two decades has given carte blanche to industrial dumpers to treat public land as a personal tip with complete impunity.
“When it comes to compliance and enforcement our priorities have long been misplaces.
“Senior citizens with pergolas a few centimetres in the wrong direction or a single construction site fencing panel blown down in a storm, we send in the cavalry.
“But where we have industrial scale dumping, environmental abuse and decades long criminality, this is too complex to take action.”
An EPA spokesperson said the organisation was aware of legacy contamination issues in Somerton.
The spokesperson said a report will be provided as part of ongoing remediation work.
“The result of the audit will help guide us in deciding if further action is needed.”
