Toxic inheritance stalks independent Besseling

ACCUSATIONS that a firm has made little progress removing toxic waste from waterways threaten to derail the re-election of MP Peter Besseling.

Stuart Allport at the site of contamination in the Hastings River

ACCUSATIONS a Port Macquarie shipping and dredging firm has made little progress removing toxic waste from waterways on the NSW north coast threaten to derail the re-election of independent MP Peter Besseling.

In December, the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water issued a clean-up notice to Birdon Marine after a witness alleged the company had illegally dumped thousands of tonnes of contaminated material on the banks of the Hastings River.

The waste contains tributyltin, a chemical used in sandblasting the hulls of ships.

Under the order, Birdon is required to remove the waste from its own property as well as dredging the river and surrounding mangroves to purge the sediment of toxins by December this year.

However, resident and environmental activist Stuart Allport says mounds of the waste remain untouched and will still be leaking into the river every time it rains.

"People don't understand what's happening here and the degree of pollution. Everyone is sitting 'doggo' and doing nothing until after the election because they're a large local employer," he said. "The council has washed its hands of it and so has Besseling. He hasn't made a statement about it; he's not interested. He only campaigns on the softer issues."

Mr Besseling is a former office manager for federal independent MP Rob Oakeshott, who intervened in the initial EPA investigation when he was a state MP while also receiving political donations from Birdon.

In a statement last night, Mr Besseling rejected claims he had been slow to act on the issue. He said he passed on three letters he had received about Birdon to either the council or the NSW Environment Minister, while also taking up the verbal concerns raised by two community organisations with the relevant authorities.

Mr Besseling also confirmed that in 2008 Birdon Holdings donated $2500 to his political campaign, as well as an equal amount to the Nationals.

However, he declined to say whether he thought Birdon had acted appropriately at all times.

Birdon Marine, which rejects allegations it illegally dumped the toxic waste, did not respond to calls yesterday.

But a DECCW spokeswoman said the company had completed the first stage of the clean-up - removing the most obvious waste on its own property - and was now gaining the necessary consents to begin the remediation on surrounding waterways.

The department has not inspected the property since the notice was issued.