Residents Briefing
Overview of the Residents Briefing Meeting held at Vincentia High School
Three hundred and fifty, mainly Jervis Bay, and St Georges Basin locals, were "flying the flag" for all concerned Shoalhaven residents, including those in the Highway towns such as Berry, Kangaroo Valley, Milton, Ulladulla, etc.. who will be profoundly impacted by traffic and safety issues.
This meeting was held to allow Shoalhaven City Council to present a brief, on the development application for the Mega-Tip proponents to put their case for a Waste Facility at this site and for the residents to ask questions and air concerns.
The meeting was a robust discussion of viewpoints, sometimes passionate and very informative.
Councillor Andrew Guile, the meetings Chairperson, kept firm control on proceedings, and even though many Councillors were present, he forbade them to make politically based statements. This angered Councillors Miller and Watson. The Councillors were there to listen to the people and be informed on the DA.
The Community found a level of comfort that the Council staff obviously also have concerns.
Council’s Tim Fletcher, Environment Services Manager, stated “the overarching theme Councils must consider with all major applications like these is the broader public interest.”
Tarnishing the Bays pristine image with a Mega-Tip is clearly not in the public’s interest.
The President of Jervis Bay Tourism, Dave Reynolds, made an impassioned plea to Council, “From the point of view of the local tourism industry, the tip would be disastrous.”He continued; “The tourism industry is a big employer and the most significant industry in this region. The very idea of placing a massive landfill in the catchment of the Bay and Basin will have a huge psychological effect on people who want to visit this area as a pristine natural environment. Who wants to have holidays next to a Tip?”
Rob Newman, owner of Tomerong Waste, stated that their company has over 43 years experience in creating landfills for mining companies, but have not considered other sites, nor was it required in the EIS to report on the impact this Mega-Tip will have on tourism. He went on to state that these huge regional landfills have now become popular with Councils as opposed to smaller local tips because they are “better controlled”. He sited one such tip, at West Dapto. Local resident Ev Pettigrew used the analogy that “constructing this mega tip at Tomerong is like putting Sydney’s Menai Tip at Bondi”.
With regard to the increase in traffic movements, Council’s Ernie Royston conceded that Gumden Lane would have to be upgraded and traffic volumes would impact on local residents.
Council Staff have asked the developers for a raft of reports to be clarified – and many members of the public like Nelson Guild, a local Tomerong resident, speaking from the floor, exposed holes in the Environmental Impact Statement with relation to findings being mere assumptions, rather than being based on sound science.
Chris Senior another local resident, speaking from the floor, asked the Council, “If this tip goes ahead and the harmful leachates damage the Bay and Basin, then who picks up the bill – especially if the company folds?” Council’s Robert Russell said the company would probably have to put up a cash bond like mining companies have to do, to make sure they rehabilitate the site.
Russell Pigg the Council’s General Manager, said the Regional Planning Panel will meet in the Shoalhaven and everyone who has put a submission in, has the opportunity to put their case to the Panel before they make their determination.
Steve McDiarmad, the Senior Development Manager, said their staff have been inundated with 450 submissions to date. That’s 450 residents who have a legal right to address the Regional Planning Panel prior to them making the decision. If you want to have your say you must put in a submission. He urged councillors to put in submissions as well, as the council does not have representation on the Regional Planning Panel.
Shoalhaven Unwanted Tip (ShUT) teams will continue to distribute information flyers on how to put in a submission across the Shoalhaven this weekend and the following weekend. We ask you to look out for ShUT teams and give them a friendly smile. Or they can get the information direct from the web site at www.shutip.com.
The absence of state member Shelly Hancock and federal member Johanna Gash was disappointing for the large crowd that filled the auditorium.
The meeting went overtime as there were so many questions from the floor.
Three hundred and fifty, mainly Jervis Bay, and St Georges Basin locals, were "flying the flag" for all concerned Shoalhaven residents, including those in the Highway towns such as Berry, Kangaroo Valley, Milton, Ulladulla, etc.. who will be profoundly impacted by traffic and safety issues.
This meeting was held to allow Shoalhaven City Council to present a brief, on the development application for the Mega-Tip proponents to put their case for a Waste Facility at this site and for the residents to ask questions and air concerns.
The meeting was a robust discussion of viewpoints, sometimes passionate and very informative.
Councillor Andrew Guile, the meetings Chairperson, kept firm control on proceedings, and even though many Councillors were present, he forbade them to make politically based statements. This angered Councillors Miller and Watson. The Councillors were there to listen to the people and be informed on the DA.
The Community found a level of comfort that the Council staff obviously also have concerns.
Council’s Tim Fletcher, Environment Services Manager, stated “the overarching theme Councils must consider with all major applications like these is the broader public interest.”
Tarnishing the Bays pristine image with a Mega-Tip is clearly not in the public’s interest.
The President of Jervis Bay Tourism, Dave Reynolds, made an impassioned plea to Council, “From the point of view of the local tourism industry, the tip would be disastrous.”He continued; “The tourism industry is a big employer and the most significant industry in this region. The very idea of placing a massive landfill in the catchment of the Bay and Basin will have a huge psychological effect on people who want to visit this area as a pristine natural environment. Who wants to have holidays next to a Tip?”
Rob Newman, owner of Tomerong Waste, stated that their company has over 43 years experience in creating landfills for mining companies, but have not considered other sites, nor was it required in the EIS to report on the impact this Mega-Tip will have on tourism. He went on to state that these huge regional landfills have now become popular with Councils as opposed to smaller local tips because they are “better controlled”. He sited one such tip, at West Dapto. Local resident Ev Pettigrew used the analogy that “constructing this mega tip at Tomerong is like putting Sydney’s Menai Tip at Bondi”.
With regard to the increase in traffic movements, Council’s Ernie Royston conceded that Gumden Lane would have to be upgraded and traffic volumes would impact on local residents.
Council Staff have asked the developers for a raft of reports to be clarified – and many members of the public like Nelson Guild, a local Tomerong resident, speaking from the floor, exposed holes in the Environmental Impact Statement with relation to findings being mere assumptions, rather than being based on sound science.
Chris Senior another local resident, speaking from the floor, asked the Council, “If this tip goes ahead and the harmful leachates damage the Bay and Basin, then who picks up the bill – especially if the company folds?” Council’s Robert Russell said the company would probably have to put up a cash bond like mining companies have to do, to make sure they rehabilitate the site.
Russell Pigg the Council’s General Manager, said the Regional Planning Panel will meet in the Shoalhaven and everyone who has put a submission in, has the opportunity to put their case to the Panel before they make their determination.
Steve McDiarmad, the Senior Development Manager, said their staff have been inundated with 450 submissions to date. That’s 450 residents who have a legal right to address the Regional Planning Panel prior to them making the decision. If you want to have your say you must put in a submission. He urged councillors to put in submissions as well, as the council does not have representation on the Regional Planning Panel.
Shoalhaven Unwanted Tip (ShUT) teams will continue to distribute information flyers on how to put in a submission across the Shoalhaven this weekend and the following weekend. We ask you to look out for ShUT teams and give them a friendly smile. Or they can get the information direct from the web site at www.shutip.com.
The absence of state member Shelly Hancock and federal member Johanna Gash was disappointing for the large crowd that filled the auditorium.
The meeting went overtime as there were so many questions from the floor.
