Treasurer urges Transurban to provide clarity quickly on how it will deal with West Gate Tunnel
Treasurer Tim Pallas says has urged the consortium building the West Gate Tunnel Project to put minds at ease over the toxic soil crisis as he warns the government is losing patience.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Treasurer Tim Pallas has warned the government’s is losing patience as it waits for Transurban to deliver a solution to the toxic soil crisis impacting the West Gate Tunnel.
Mr Pallas said he understood communities had questions about potential dumping sites and urged the consortium building the project to put minds at ease.
“We’re still waiting for Transurban and the joint venture partners to come back with a decision about where they intend on locating this waste,” he said.
“I think the community gets increasingly concerned about the delays that are implicit in this.
“We need Transurban and their joint venture partner to finally come to a conclusion around what they’re going to do in respect to this.
“I think the government’s patience is wearing thin.”
Mr Pallas reaffirmed that a future train stabling yard at Wyndham Vale would only be used as a backup site if needed.
“The people of Wyndham can be assured however that this will not be a permanent facility and will only be used in emergency circumstances,” he said.
“There are many of these facilities in place and to the best of my knowledge none of them have been used yet for the so called emergency situation.
“Victorians have got every right to wonder when they’re (the consortium) going to be able to come a point of clarity with communities who are understandably nervous about what this will mean.
“We of course do have a responsibility and that goes back to the environmental safeguards and also to the planning overlays that are appropriate.”
It comes after a crowd of about 1500 people last night rallied against the proposed dumping of toxic soil in Bacchus Marsh, northwest of Melbourne.
The vocal group gathered at Bacchus Marsh’s Village Green where they voiced their anger to a plan to relocate contaminated soil from the West Gate Tunnel Project at their town.
They waved placards and banners with slogans such as “please don’t poison my future”, “dump Dan Andrews not toxic soil” and “not happy Dan”.
Rally organiser and Bacchus Marsh Community Coalition group member Kat Barlow said the turnout reflected concern at potential contamination risks.
Ms Barlow said people were unhappy with the prospect of 230 trucks loaded with contaminated soil driving through the town of 22,000 people each day for up to two years, dumping soil close to schools and an aged care facility.
“We don’t want to be the next class action that you read about, we want this stopped now,” she said.
After tabling a petition in state parliament, she said they were now launching another petition to the federal parliament, on top of a gofundme page to pay for soil testing and future legal fees.
The event comes one week after 2000 people held a blockade in Werribee to vent their anger at the possibility of the soil being stored in Wyndham Vale.
Toll road giant Transurban, which is leading the $6.7 billion West Gate Tunnel Project, has called for tenders to manage the 1.5 million cubic tonnes of soil from the project.
Maddingley Brown Coal in Bacchus Marsh is understood to be the most likely location for the dirt, which has been contaminated by industrial chemical PFAS.
Jemma Tyler-Miller from the Bacchus Marsh Community Coalition said there was no reason the soil should be stored in their town.
“Why is this site even being entertained as being viable? The answer can’t be because it has to go somewhere. It is not welcome here in our town. Our community has spoken,” she said.
Among the speakers on Tuesday was lawyer Glen Thexton from Thexton lawyers who said there were a range of avenues available, including taking the government to the Supreme Court, making an application for an injunction to stop the toxic waste being dumped and lobbying state parliament.
He said there were a range of locations where the soil could be stored.
“This is not the only site they’ve got to choose from. The difference with this site and other sites is the proximity to people.”
He urged the community to band together and keep up the fight in order to get the government to take notice.
MORE NEWS
CHARGES LAID OVER ALLEGED TOXIC STOCKPILES