Poison land alert for families hoping to build their dream homes
Dozens of families hoping to build their dream homes at a Diamond Creek estate fear their land is poisoned with arsenic — and have been forced to conduct their own soil tests.
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Dozens of families hoping to build their dream homes at a Diamond Creek estate fear their land is poisoned with arsenic.
Landowners at the Collard Rise estate are being told by Nillumbik Council to conduct their own soil tests — which could cost up to $5000 — before building permits will be issued.
The housing development in Melbourne’s outer northeast is near the abandoned Nillumbik Gold Mine, which started in the 1860s and continued sporadically until about 1950.
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Soil remediation has been conducted in some parts of the estate but it is believed the mine site was much bigger than first thought, triggering residents’ angst.
Gordon Legal associate Fiona Rothville said hundreds of people, including many young children, could be affected and the council had left families in the dark.
“There could be significant consequences if contamination is found at their property or properties surrounding them,’’ Ms Rothville said.
“At this stage no testing has been done which should have been done many years ago.’’
Some landowners are even paying rates on blocks that are under a cloud.
The latest scare follows revelations in September of high arsenic levels near another former mine site 4km away in Fraser St, Diamond Creek, which forced a family to leave their home.
The house and others nearby abut a former gold mine.
Arsenic becomes dangerous after the gold is extracted and the toxic element is left in the mine tailings or leftover waste. It can spread through water run-off or in dust particles.
High concentrations of arsenic could lead to skin and bladder cancers, RMIT University environmental toxicologist Associate Professor Suzie Reichman said.
Children were at risk if they came into contact with contaminated soil and then put their fingers in their mouth, Prof Reichman said.
An audit system put in place by the Cain government was meant to prevent contaminated land from being developed, she said. “What’s happening to our audit system if these people are able to buy land that is potentially contaminated?
“There seems to be a few popping up in the Nillumbik area at the moment.’’
Development on the estate began more than a decade ago after it was rezoned in 2002.
Heritage Victoria records show the Nillumbik Mine address as being near 75-79 Collard Drive.
Ms Rothville said Gordon Legal was considering a class action on behalf of residents.
“No one was informed and no one knew they were building on a site near the old gold mine,’’ she said.
A council spokesman said while there was no evidence to suggest the property had contamination issues, site assessments were required as an “environmental safety precaution’’.
“Council must take this precautionary approach to address any potential health risks,” he said.
Ms Rothville called on the council to arrange testing immediately.
A TOXIC SITUATION
Teacher Jodie Williams and husband Allan have a permit to build their home on the Collard Rise estate but say the toxic risk is too great not to test their soil for contaminants.
The couple will pay thousands of dollars for the tests on the site of what they hope will be their dream home.
The couple’s lot is on the fringe of the danger zone defined by Nillumbik Council but the dangers are too high, Ms Williams said.
The couple can’t risk any arsenic contamination for her daughters Mila, 3 and Emerson, 1, because their home will be too close to the old mine site.
“If the test comes back positive, I’m stopping the build,’’ Ms Williams said.
“Everyone building here has got kids and we all know that young children love to play in the dirt.’’
Dust from construction at other house plots was already a real concern, she said.
Neighbour Joel Catania and wife Kimberley are ready to build on their $500,000 block just up the road but they are among the many residents who have to pay for their own soil test before getting a permit. And they are paying rates to boot.
“Council has never told us anything. No one can get answers,” he said.
“We put our faith in the system. I don’t blame the developers. I put it straight back on the council because they should have done the tests.’’
On the other side of Diamond Creek, Kim Murdoch and her young family still can’t return to their home which is laced with “alarming “ levels of arsenic contamination.
Ms Murdoch and her three boys under five left the Hoddle Place house in September after high levels of arsenic were detected after stormwater run-off from an abandoned gold mine over her back fence.
“I can’t tell you how much stress this is causing,’’ she said.
The arsenic levels in her boys’ have fallen since moving out but she still fears the long-term effects.
“It’s a position no one should be in.’’
Ms Murdoch is now struggling to find a builder to take on remediation works to make her home liveable.
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