A disgruntled resident says Ballarat City Council has failed to fulfill its obligations towards its Black Hill “legacy landfill”.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Mark Hosking wants updated mapping of the former Chisholm Street tip to monitor gases, leachates, chemicals and land subsidence.
He says the council has also failed to carry out the recommendations of a 2014 auditor-general’s report into managing landfills.
It states the four councils studied – including Ballarat – had not “met their responsibilities for managing legacy risks at their closed landfills”.
Mr Hosking, who has been locked in a four year battle with the council over buried rubbish on his Duggan Street property, said a review of all Ballarat’s operational and former tips was meant to be carried out by the end of last year, which hasn’t yet been done.
However, the council’s general manager city services Terry Demeo said they were working with the EPA to follow the auditor-general’s report recommendations into closed landfills.
Mr Demeo also said rehabilitation responsibilities and aftercare costs of closed landfills were budgeted and provided for in the council’s long-term financial plan.
But Mr Demeo also said there had been no new maps created of the landfill’s boundaries, despite rubbish being found on adjoining properties. In 2012, work on a proposed Black Hill residential development was scuttled because landfill was found outside the former tip’s boundaries and on the site. The council settled with the developer and bought the land.
Mark Hosking wants updated mapping of the former Chisholm Street tip to monitor gases, leachates, chemicals and land subsidence.
He says the council has also failed to carry out the recommendations of a 2014 auditor-general’s report into managing landfills.
It states the four councils studied – including Ballarat – had not “met their responsibilities for managing legacy risks at their closed landfills”.
Mr Hosking, who has been locked in a four year battle with the council over buried rubbish on his Duggan Street property, said a review of all Ballarat’s operational and former tips was meant to be carried out by the end of last year, which hasn’t yet been done.
However, the council’s general manager city services Terry Demeo said they were working with the EPA to follow the auditor-general’s report recommendations into closed landfills.
Mr Demeo also said rehabilitation responsibilities and aftercare costs of closed landfills were budgeted and provided for in the council’s long-term financial plan.
But Mr Demeo also said there had been no new maps created of the landfill’s boundaries, despite rubbish being found on adjoining properties. In 2012, work on a proposed Black Hill residential development was scuttled because landfill was found outside the former tip’s boundaries and on the site. The council settled with the developer and bought the land.
Mr Hosking said it was ridiculous new maps hadn’t been created when the rubbish was discovered after excavation works were ordered by the Supreme Court of Victoria in June 2012.
In August 2014, then council chief executive officer Anthony Schinck said they would address the auditor-general’s report recommendations by a single review of the management of all operational and former waste facilities “based on all available information”.
“From this review a comprehensive management plan will be developed which will include a prioritised list of actions for each site,” Mr Schinck said.
Mr Hosking said FOI requests on this review and management plan put into the council had not been met in the 45 day time limit, which would have been May 24.
“It’s about responsibility, accountability and respect,” Mr Hosking said. “Why aren’t they proud of what they’ve done in regards to looking after the people of Ballarat and, specifically, Black Hill.”
But Mr Demeo said the council aims to respond to FOI requests within the prescribed times.
“Individual FOI requests are not discussed”.
