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Media Release 11 Feb 2016

MEDIA RELEASE  

For Immediate Release   11 February 2016 

Final Legal Costs Hearing Copping Waste Authority (SWS) Vs SBCS and Marsh 

Before Justice Blow in the Supreme Court 4.15pm. 

Justice Blow will hand down his final decision regarding costs in the legal action brought by the Copping Waste Authority (SWS) against Southern Beaches Conservation Society Inc. (SBCS) and Angela Marsh.  

SWS decided to discontinue their Action following a scheduled date for trial on 23 – 27 November 2015, before Justice Escort. SBCS and Marsh were confident of a very favourable outcome of the trial. 

Costs could amount to $100,000 for SWS. As an Authority answerable to the Councils who are its owners these costs will inevitably be passed on to rate payers. 

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Media Release

Southern Beaches Conservation Society

Dump the Toxic Dump

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                                      20 Dec 2015

Another shonky move by government

If Matthew Groom really wants Tasmania to be a clean green state why has he turned down a waste levy in favour of funding landfill? In other jurisdictions, in line with first world countries, high waste levies are put into place by government in order to encourage phasing out landfill in accord with the recommendations from the OECD. 

Instead of funding the C cell State government would be far better off implementing a state waste management strategy - raising a hazardous waste levy to encourage business to deal with their own waste and using proposed funding and the levy as an industry start-up incentive to waste recycling and remediation industries. This would provide far more than jobs, it could be a real move in the right direction for Minister Groom's touted, 'Our Big Green Goal,' rather than a toxic cell in a hole in the ground.

Nyrstar is an example of industry taking responsibility for their own waste. They ship waste to SA for reprocessing, ending up with an inert substance used for bricks. Without incentives business will be only too pleased to transfer their hazardous waste to future ratepayers and not have the responsibility of dealing with it.

Southern Waste Solutions, who for over three years have not been able to raise the funds from the private sector, because they do not have a viable business case, have been bailed out by Councils to the tune of $1.9mil, only made a profit of $80,000 last year and have outstanding liabilities of $4mil. They do not have one organization that has confirmed that they will use the c cell.  Only 10,000 tonnes of legacy waste across Tasmania has been identified in their report – hardly the quantity to merit the cost of a 300,000 tonne C cell and much of this waste could be remediated in-situ given the incentive to do so.

As for waste from Antarctica -does Tasmania really want to accept waste from other Antarctic countries such as: Italy; China; and Russia; to name just three of a long list. We do not need to tempt these countries to Tasmania to be known as the Toxic Dump for Antarctica. This is also in contravention of the core principles of the Basal  Convention.

In the past our own Antarctic waste has been transported to WA but in future there will be very little Australian Antarctic waste as it is less impacting on the environment to remediate or seal it in situ. Since 2015 France’s solid and liquid waste has been completely used as waste to generate energy.

Minister Groom why condemn Tasmania to another 10 – 20 years of toxic landfill?

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For further information, please contact Dump the Toxic Dump: dumpthetoxicdump@gmail.com

Bigger Than Bill & The Hows

Media Release 18th Sept 2015

Southern Beaches Conservation Society

Dump the Toxic Dump

11 Gully Road Dodges Ferry 7173

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                               18 Sept 2015

No Guarantees for Toxic Waste Dumps

The Southern Beaches Conservation Society Inc. (SBCS), shares the concerns recently voiced publically by eminent environmental scientist Dr Chris Wilcox in reference to any proposed C Cell at Copping carrying a significant risk of failure and associated environmental harm.

The vast bulk of the available scientific literature demonstrates that landfill liner systems, such as the one proposed by Southern Waste Solutions (SWS), for the Copping C Cell have a limited lifespan of well under 100 years. In reality there exists only approximately 30 years of experience in the utilisation of such liner systems in situ around the world and many examples within that timeframe of failure of such systems, leading to the inevitable escape of toxic leachate into the surrounding environment through groundwater networks.

‘Any suggestion by SWS that such liner systems can be guaranteed to prevent the escape of toxic leachate for many hundreds or thousands of years, is willfully misleading the Tasmanian public on the available scientific evidence,’ said SBCS President Shane Humpherys

SBCS also notes the recent publicity around the lack of private investor funding for the construction of the C Cell and the complete absence of any committed customers. The former indicates the unacceptable financial risk the project represents with potential environmental liabilities for many centuries to come, the latter represents the fallacy that some have tried to create around vast swathes of unmanaged hazardous waste sitting stockpiled all around the state.

The SBCS maintains that what limited hazardous waste that does exist within the state can, on a case by case basis, be diverted from landfill for treatment, reprocessing and reuse. In the case of contaminated soil, in situ remediation represents a vastly superior approach to landfill.

‘Furthermore, we oppose the model whereby corporate entities can transfer their ongoing hazardous waste liabilities to the ratepayers of the owner councils of a municipal landfill,’ added Shane Humpherys.

Therefore, any commitment by the state government to fund this landfill with taxpayers money to the tune of many millions of dollars would be an irresponsible allocation of funds especially in light of the desperate need for such monies by so many other public sector organisation within the state, such as health and education, parks and wildlife and biosecurity to name but a few.

-          MEDIA RELEASE ENDS –

Community Conversation with Sorell Council

Have a Conversation with your Council - elected Council representatives / Councillors  - 

Come along to Okines Community House on Wednesday 10 June at 6.30 pm 

Ask questions - find out what Council are planning for our municipality

Tell Council what we want for our community 

A great opportunity for Southern Beaches -

See you there next Wednesday

Bigger Than Bill & The How's gig