Would Adelaide put up with this? Port Augusta residents angry as city smothered by dust again

PORT Augusta residents say they’re “fed up” after dust again covered the city and are demanding the Government step up to fix the problem.

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PORT Augusta residents say they’re “fed up” after dust again covered the city and are demanding the Government step up to fix the problem.

However Environment Minister Ian Hunter has offered no additional solutions to solve the consistent problem, despite conceding flare-ups would be “incredibly frustrating” for affected residents.

Dust and coal particles at Port Augusta’s decommissioned coal plant were whipped up by wild winds on Wednesday night, cloaking the city almost 12 months after it was choked by fly ash.

Site manager Flinders Power and Mr Hunter say fly ash was not stirred up in the dry, windy conditions, despite 10 per cent of the site not being completely covered.

Port Augusta cinema owner Michelle Coles said Flinders Power was doing “all it could” to manage the site but said Government or Environment Protection Authority intervention was required to fix the problem.

Mayor Sam Johnson queries whether Adelaide residents would put up with dust storms. Picture: Matt Turner

“It was dreadful. It was just black everywhere,” Ms Coles said.

“We’re not going to put up with it.

The time has come for someone to step in to help Flinders Power or for the EPA to find an alternative solution.”

Port Augusta resident Christine McPhail posted on Facebook that the dust cloud was “absolutely disgusting”.

“There should be a class action against this happening. No future for the young kids and grandkids, breathing in that toxic crap.”

Mr Hunter conceded similar flare-ups could occur this summer, but said there was no fast solution.

“Unfortunately there’s no short-term fix for this, other than to wait for the site to be revegetated and that will take a year or two,” he said. “I’m not quite sure what you can ask them to do more ...

“It is a massive site. It’s impossible to water a site as big as the city of Adelaide.”

Port Augusta Mayor Sam Johnson queried if metropolitan Adelaide residents would be required to “grin and bear” a similar issue in Adelaide.

“A little more responsiveness from the minister would be appreciated,” he said.