Wyndham raises fears over West Gate Tunnel soil dump

A plan to dump contaminated soil from the troubled West Gate Tunnel project just metres from suburban houses has been met with anger from locals.

A western suburbs council is up in arms about a plan to temporarily dump contaminated soil from the troubled West Gate Tunnel project on government-owned land near homes.

Government officials and project bosses met with Wyndham Council this week to discuss using land next to a major new train yard as a “back-up temporary site” for the soil.

Wyndham Mayor Josh Gilligan said the council was “seeking assurances from the Victorian Government and the EPA that our residents and our natural environment will be safe from contamination”.

“We are incredibly concerned that this selected site is only 70m from residential land and 700m from the Werribee River,” he told the Herald Sun.

The $6.7 billion second western river crossing was thrown into chaos last month when the project’s builders said they would walk away from their contract over issues with PFAS-contaminated soil on construction sites.

 

Tunnelling on the project has not started and is more than six months behind schedule, as the government searches for a permanent landfill site to dump the spoil, with options being considered in Bacchus Marsh and Ravenhall.

Amid a backlash from local residents Treasurer Tim Pallas and member for Werribee assured people the site was not earmarked for “long-term containment”.

“Any suggestion that there is going to be long-term containment or toxic facility is just nonsense,” Mr Pallas told 3AW.

“What is proposed at Wyndham Vale is essentially a short-term place where it is isolated from the environment and if it is ever used – it may well not ever be used – it’s only if you can’t get access to the long-term facility.

“It is dropped and picked up as quickly as possible and moved. A matter of days at best.”

Mr Pallas could not clarify the details of the site or how close the soil would be to surrounding houses but stated the 1.5 million tonnes of soil was the responsibility of Transurban and their construction partners.

He also declined to comment on permanent sites for the PFAS-riddled soil but confirmed a property in Bacchus Marsh was among those being looked at

A government spokeswoman said the Wyndham Vale site was being considered as an option to “hold the soil from tunnelling for a short period of time in extenuating circumstances where the other sites can’t be accessed”.

“Transurban and its builder are working with project parties to find a long-term solution to manage the rock and soil from tunnelling — no decision has been made,” the spokeswoman said.

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“As we get on with Victoria’s big build it is common practice for soil to be stored at sites across Melbourne — projects always work to find safe locations that minimise truck movements.”

There are no approvals in place yet for the Wyndham Vale site’s use, and the government maintains that if soil is sent there, it will not affect the timing or operations of the new stabling facility.

But the plan has already sparked anger from some local residents, causing further headaches for the government as it seeks to get the project back on track.

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