Moorabool mayor Paul Tatchell has slammed a decision that the council must follow an Environment Protection Authority (EPA) clean-up order – estimated to cost about $500,000 – calling it “unfair.”
The council’s bid to avoid paying the EPA clean-up order for illegally stored truckloads of hazardous industrial waste in Merrimu was knocked back by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
The notice was issued to council requiring it to remove about 1000 to 1250 dissolved acetylene cylinders contained on pallets in two trailers parked on the nature strip of 210 Lerderderg Park Road, Merrimu by Friday, July 25.
Council applied to VCAT for a stay on the order, which was rejected by the tribunal on July 16.
Cr Tatchell said it was unfair that ratepayers should have to foot the bill for the clean-up.
“Council argued that the EPA had the illegal dumper of the harmful waste under surveillance at least since 2024 without council’s knowledge, and the EPA had failed to take action,” Cr Tatchell said.
“Suddenly, when the material is placed on council land, the EPA springs into action and decides to punch down on the council … how is this fair? It is unjust and un-Australian!
“In our view the EPA should have to cover the cost of the clean-up, not our residents. They had a chance to act, they didn’t and they’ve decided to play ‘pass the parcel’ with dangerous waste which suddenly became more dangerous when it appeared on council land.”
He said the cost for dealing with the dumped waste will be about $25 for every ratepayer in Moorabool.
Cr Tatchell encouraged disappointed residents to join the council in expressing views to the EPA.
He said satellite imagery indicates more container loads of this harmful waste were on the site under observation by the EPA, questioning where these have gone.
In a statement, the EPA said the waste included a large number of acetylene cylinders that were allegedly moved and abandoned in contravention of a previous EPA notice.
According to the EPA, the matter is continuing in VCAT as the final hearing is not until later this year and its investigation into the illegal dumping is ongoing, so further comment cannot be made.
