AN illegal vehicle wrecking yard near Tarago could put the health of neighbouring landholders at risk.
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Covered in rusting car bodies, wrecking parts and scrap metal, the Cullulla Rd property is understood to be a storage site for a scrap metal business in Fyshwick, ACT.
Five of the top 10 chemicals of major health concern, listed by the World Health Organisation, are associated with site operations.
It could lead to significant damage to the surrounding Lake Bathurst wetlands area, listed by the Department of Environment in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
In a report put to Goulburn Mulwaree Council at last Tuesday’s meeting, planning and development director Louise Wakefield said the vehicle wrecking operation was prohibited under local planning legislation and labelled the issue a “major environmental concern”.
Further, she said “the potential for groundwater contamination and associated health risks to neighbouring landholders through contact with bore water is equally and potentially more concerning”.
Despite wrecking activities first coming to the attention of Council in 2009, compliance actions did not begin until 2013.
Two years after orders were issued to the property owner to cease operations, Council resolved at the meeting to proceed with Class Four NSW Land and Environment Court actions, at an estimated cost of $70,000 to $100,000.
“Rock and roll,” councillor Andrew Banfield said.
Environmental pollutants associated with the storage, dismantling and crushing of vehicles include lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, benzene, chromium and barium, according to the Council report.
Council 'dropped the ball': GM
Council general manager Warwick Bennett said he was “deeply concerned” by the contamination risk.
He offered an apology to the Tarago community.
“It is very very clear to me that this organisation has dropped the ball. It came to my attention about four weeks ago, and I will be ensuring that we pick this up again and deal with it because the community has been seeking this from us many times since 2009,” he said.
“This is a very significant contamination issue which we should have addressed with more vigour... Lake Bathurst and the wetlands are very environmentally sensitive areas and we should have been working closely with this.
“I can only apologise to the Tarago community that Council staff from 2009 onwards have not addressed this.”
Mr Bennett said Council will go directly to the NSW Land and Environment Court for the immediate clean up of the site.
“(We will seek) that the site be immediately cleaned up and that the Court deliver instruction which will have daily financial consequences if the property owner fails to comply,” he said.
The Post understands Council is seeking legal advice on how to proceed and is in discussions with the NSW Environmental Protection Agency.