Workers stood down following Cairns waste station fire

Jobs at a Cairns waste disposal facility are under threat following a massive fire with a union representative and workers meeting with the station’s operators on Friday morning.

A large structure fire at the Cairns Regional Council's waste transfer station at Portsmith has been burning for more than a week. It’s feared that workers inside the station’s Advanced Resource Recovery Facility may lose their jobs. Picture: Brendan Radke

Jobs at a Cairns waste disposal facility are under threat following a massive fire with a union organiser and workers meeting with the station’s operators on Friday morning.

Flames destroyed the Advanced Resource Recovery Facility (ARRF) at Portsmith Transfer Station more than a week ago, causing the building’s roof to collapse and debris to still smoulder.

Firefighters were tasked with containing a major inferno that engulfed the main building at the Portsmith Transfer Station last week. Picture: Tee Kay

Since then, the ARRF’s operators, Veolia, have stood down multiple staff with fears that voluntary redundancies could soon follow.

Transport Workers Union organiser Craig Hards said he spoke with members who were stood down prior to the weekend.

“There have been no redundancies yet but there have been staff asked to take annual or long service leave while they’re away,” Mr Hards said.

“If there are redundancies we’d be asking Veolia to make them voluntary first.

“But the company has been good and they’re working with us, so far.”

Workers jobs at the Portsmith Transfer Station are under threat, the Transport Workers Union says. Picture: Brendan Radke

Challenges extinguishing the blaze had made it difficult for workers to return to their jobs, a Veolia spokeswoman said.

“The safety of our staff remains our top priority, especially as the situation is still live,” the spokeswoman said.

“While authorities are making progress, we have not yet been able to assess the full extent of the damage, or next steps.

“What we can confirm is that it has not been safe or possible for a small number of individuals to return to work. Despite this, we continued to pay our workers.”

Veolia has confirmed that some workers at the Portsmith Transfer Station’s resource recovery facility have been stood down.

The decision to stand several staff members down at Veolia’s facility on Friday was difficult, the representative said.

“While they remain employed, with full access to paid leave as per their entitlements, some individuals who have not been able to return to work due to the fire, have been temporarily stood down,” she said.

“The welfare of these people is important to us and we are keeping communication open during this challenging time.

“We are working to extinguish the smouldering remains, so we can assess the damage and give clarity about the future of the site and those employed there. This will become clearer over the coming days and weeks.

“In the meantime, all waste is still being processed via an interim arrangement in parts of the facility that were not affected by the fire. Receival of red-bin waste has continued as normal.”

Onsite crews are monitoring the smoke with results indicating that the emissions do not pose a public health risk, a Cairns Regional Council spokesman said.

“(The) council and Veolia have been working with the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation to monitor the site and ensure environmental compliance,” the spokesman said.

“Residents in smoke affected areas – especially those with health conditions, those over 65, infants and children, and pregnant women – are advised to close windows and doors and keep respiratory medications close by if required.”

The Portsmith Transfer Station and the Buy Back Shop will remain closed until further notice.

Veolia and the council thanked the Cairns community for their patience and understanding.

Originally published as Workers stood down following Cairns waste station fire