Council fined over Black Hill tip waste

It comes after a council report confirmed waste has been found on land outside the boundaries of the former Black Hill tip. However, the report  said it does not “pose imminent risk to human health or the environment”.

The EPA issued an order in June for the council to map the boundaries following complaints by concerned Duggan Street landowner Mark Hosking.

Victoria’s EPA south west manager Carolyn Francis said the environmental body issued the notice to the council after historical data showed waste was likely to have extended beyond what was thought to have been the boundary of the landfill that operated between 1978 and 1982.

“EPA’s notice required the council to provide a report that showed where waste extends beyond the known boundary,” Ms Francis said.

Ms Francis said the failure to completely detail where the waste existed at the site now known as the Chisholm Street Recreation Reserve meant the council was non-compliant with the notice.

“Because of this EPA has fined the council for breaching its notice requirements and will now require it to undertake further assessment works in consultation with any affected or potentially affected property owners,” Ms Francis said. “The EPA will require remediation to be undertaken where it is considered necessary, and will require further assessment to ensure risks to human health and the environment are being adequately managed.”

City of Ballarat Director of Infrastructure and Environment Terry Demeo said the council was seeking a review of the EPA’s decision.  He said the council intended to prepare a full conceptual site model based on the known boundaries of the former Black Hill landfill to inform and develop monitoring plans that will consider landfill gas monitoring, leachate monitoring, stormwater monitoring and a Human Health Risk Assessment.