Fiskville farmers could be banned from selling their livestock, if recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry into the Country Fire Authority training college are implemented.
An interim report tabled last Wednesday in State Parliament recommends the government oversee “thorough testing of soil and water, including tank water, on adjoining or relevant properties” of the Ballan site.
It said all results and information regarding exposure to PFOS – a chemical used in foam firefighting – must be made available.
The report also urges the government to look at how to deal with the contamination of livestock and other produce. The report into the training college at Fiskville stated local residents should be allowed to request the test results, and it urged the government to stop contaminated farms from selling produce and livestock.
Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett said proposed restrictions on the sale of livestock from farmers near Fiskville were important.
“These are very serious recommendations coming from a process that has raised enormous issues with the health and safety of the site and its surrounds,” she said.
Farmers Matthew and Beccara Lloyd purchased their Hamills Lane property in 1997 and later started a successful farm-gate business of 1200 breeding ewes and a large flock of sheep. The couple closed the meat business over concerns contaminated water was entering their property.
Mrs Lloyd said high levels of PFOS were found in livestock’s blood and water supplies.
She told the inquiry the couple’s property was on the boundary to Fiskville, and Lake Fiskville water flowed into dams at the back of their property.
“Matt noticed signs being hung on the fences saying, ‘No swimming in the dams’, ‘No fishing’, ‘Not allowed to go in the water’,” she said. “We know that our stock drink the water.
“We decided the right thing to do was just to close our meat business because we just didn’t know what we were giving to people.”
Mrs Lloyd said the couple was glad the inquiry’s recommendations had been released.
“We have been going through this for a very long time and we hope that the matter gets cleared up as soon as possible so that we can get on with our lives,” she told
Star Weekly.
