Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise today on these appropriation bills to raise some pressing local issues. In 1998 I chaired the Werribee Residents Against Toxic Dump—we were called WRATD—a community group formed to lead my community's fight against CSR's plan to develop a toxic dump in Werribee. This campaign taught me how to work at the grassroots level and I believe led to me sitting here as my community's federal representative in this chamber. I learnt to be a local member from a couple of exemplars. The Hon. Julia Gillard referenced this fight with CSR in her first speech in this place because she was involved as a candidate. I worked with Julia and Barry Jones, who was our local member. We brought that fight to the federal parliament, and today with that history I bring another fight to the federal parliament.

Like many others in my community, I thought that our fight and win had sent the strong message to governments of all stripes that community consultation is not a tick-and-flick exercise and that ignoring community sentiment came with consequences for proponents and legislators. Imagine my disappointment then when in the last sitting fortnight local community activists started calling me to say that an Age journalist was contacting them asking for comment about the Transurban proposal to store contaminated soil from the West Gate Tunnel project in our community as a backup option. My immediate reaction was to assure them that this couldn't be true. I was sure that any environmental effects statement would have had to have addressed these issues prior to the project starting. I was sure that this was merely a rumour that would prove to be untrue. What followed was even more disbelief, because this was, in fact, true.

Since then I have been in discussions with local community groups, experts and colleagues from all levels of government over Transurban's plan to place contaminated soil in Wyndham Vale. Following these discussions I want to say clearly: I do not support Transurban's toxic soil plan for Wyndham. I am bemused that we are hearing talk of plans for extenuating circumstances when there is no plan detailing the final disposal or treatment facility. Further, I'm not confident the backup plan being discussed will have the safety measures in place to protect people and to protect our precious environment.

My objections and the objections of many in the community are not about the West Gate Tunnel project. Tens of thousands of the 270,000 people who reside in the city of Wyndham commute to and from the city for work and pleasure. To do their jobs and to enjoy their free time they pay the Transurban tolls. Tens of thousands of locals will use the West Gate Tunnel on completion. Like me, they support the Andrews government's investment in this much-needed piece of infrastructure for Melbourne and the entire western suburbs. But, like me, they are bemused that Transurban and its construction partners, John Holland and CPB, are casting about at the eleventh hour to organise the disposal of contaminated soil in a project that will see the removal of 1.5 million tonnes of soil.

I'd like the House to know too that this is a market led project—that is, that Transurban made an unsolicited approach to government with this project. They have been through several processes. One of these processes was an environmental effects statement where the history of the area where the tunnel is being built has been detailed, including maps of groundwater movement over many years. I have an attachment to that EES. I note that most westies would know that where they're planning this tunnel used to be an incredibly industrialised part of Melbourne where there were gasworks; rail and trams lines; supply, laydown and storage areas; maintenance areas; warehousing; filling of low-lying or swampy areas; the Bradmill textile factory; James Hardie; motor garages with other vehicle services, including service stations; drycleaners and dyers; engineering and metal manufacturing; refining and finishing works, including foundries and heavy engineering firms; iron, steel and other metal works; electroplating and enamelling; bulk fuel terminals and refineries; and chemical manufacturers and storage. That's where the tunnel is being built. I don't think it would take much imagination for anybody in the west to figure out that there would be a bit of contaminated soil when you started digging in this space.

One of the worst pieces of information that comes from this EES is the fact that was there were some quarries in that area as well, and that they have been filled. They had been used for the disposal of solid and liquid wastes. There's been a solid inert landfill, an abattoir and a stockyard site located at Kyle Road, Altona. So it is a surprise to me to think that Transurban are, at this late hour, determining that they're in desperate need of a backup plan when, in fact, as far as I'm concerned, they should have already had detailed plans. It is dumbfounding that this enormous company with a history of major project development can claim it didn't know the soil would be contaminated. Anyone from the west—in fact, two local governments raised red flags during the EES about this. So there's no surprise that my community objects to the way it was informed, the lack of consultation and the stupidity of thinking the soil should go anywhere for storage unless it was for treatment—let alone at the site being suggested, which is 70 metre from new homes with more being built as we speak. The site is also inappropriate because it is too close to the Werribee River and a tributary that runs through the site after a deluge. But, mostly, we object because the site will not have the required linings—synthetic and clay—that are required to take contaminated soil of this kind.

Let me be clear, too, to all those already claiming that this is driven by 'not in my backyard' attitudes or sentiments. You couldn't be further from the truth. This is about setting the standard for the private sector and for government. There should be no shortcuts, no matter the importance of the project. Transurban need to understand that their market led project has to follow the rules. Contaminated soil should be taken from source to appropriately licensed disposal or treatment sites.

My community has fought this fight before. I know. I led that fight. Now we will fight it again. Last week, a committee was formed at a public meeting. Tomorrow night, once again, my community will come together, this time to fight Transurban's toxic soil plan. I urge all concerned locals to head down to Station Place at 6.30 pm for this rally. I'll be there because my community matters to me. I'll be there because I'm their federal member. I'll be there because I was raised in this community and I've raised my family in this community. I will always stand with my community. In 1998, I lead our community's fight against CSR's toxic dump in Werribee. In 2020, I will stand with my community as their federal representative, fighting Transurban's toxic soil plan.

Another local issue is being raised with me by concerned locals living at Federation Village. I want to bring to the House's attention the plight of a group of locals in my community who, it would seem, are being taken advantage of by the administrators of their retirement village. A few weeks ago a group of residents from the Federation Retirement Village in Werribee came to my office to explain how Allswell and Ingenia are enforcing exit fees and upping weekly maintenance contributions—some to as high as 13 per cent—or, as they call it, 'rent' on the residents of this village. This is in comparison with the modest increases to pensions, and this is while Ingenia proudly promotes on their website, 'No, there are no body corporate charges, no council rates and no entry or exit fees.' The residents of these villages have retired, many of them on fixed incomes, and are reliant on the modest aged pension. The owners of Federation are continuing to up rents on these fixed-income locals, and when they're priced out of paying the rent the exit fees are astronomical. Worst of all, they're getting away with it.

While Allswell on their website promotes the same language, word for word, about exit fees, there's one addition: an asterisk. That asterisk is for residents of the Federation Villages around the state. It's simply not fair for people who've worked their entire life to be treated this way. There have been promises that the market will fix the exit fee problem. In the past, when these things have been raised in the federal parliament, we have seen some market pressure and some change in those areas. That is not the case for the residents of the Federation Village in Werribee—or, for that matter, in their locations around the state.

So, while I urge Allswell and Ingenia to do the decent thing, I believe it is time for us to have a nationally consistent approach to retirement villages and to the fees they charge, and an end to the ridiculous exit fees that these locals told me about, where $70,000 can be taken off any sale of their property. With the population getting older and the need for retirement villages growing, we must fix this dodgy practice now. While I'm pleased to hear that there is now a dialogue between the operators and the residents, and I hope that that there will be positive action to come, it shouldn't be left to good faith. As a country let's fix this problem now and save older Australians these hassles down the track.

The electorate of Lalor sits in Melbourne's outer west, our amazingly diverse and fast-growing Melbourne's west—

Dr Mulino interjecting—

I say hello to the member for Fraser, who shares some of the burden of being part of an intense growth corridor—where our community is growing through things like a hundred babies a week being born and 6,000 dwellings a year being built, outpacing every prediction made by governments. Wyndham is home to many records and statistics, but perhaps the worst statistic we own is the fact that we are home to the greatest number of residents who travel two or more hours a day to go to work. The congestion we face as a community is the main contributing factor. While the state government are doing great things to reduce this—removing local level crossings, offering more public transport options and building the West Gate Tunnel—it was disappointing to hear about the Urban Congestion Fund of this government and that it has gone down the same path as other funds under this government.

Despite all the stats and common sense about building congestion-busting infrastructure, as the man in the cap tells us all the time, or when he's donning his shiny hat, he doesn't see us in Wyndham. We're not worthy because we vote Labor. What did we get from this government, going into the last election? Zero. Absolutely nothing. In fact, in Victoria, coalition seats and some marginal seats received 89 per cent of the $1.26 billion allocated across Victoria. That left 11 per cent for the rest of us, but nothing for Lalor—absolutely zero. I've been on my feet in this chamber so many times talking about parking at train stations and talking about Labor's commitment at the last election to build the Wyndham West Link and create two bridges on the edges of our city to move us in and out. But the government claims we didn't ask. Well, in fact, we did. Lalor proposed projects at the last election, and even our previous mayors wrote to the minister about the infrastructure we needed, but we got nothing.

It is apparent to everyone in my community and in my electorate that this government does not care about people living in the outer west's growth areas. We are not part of their consideration of where they might spend money, and they will ignore the incredible congestion in our part of Melbourne while pouring money for train station car parks into other seats, like Kooyong. It is outrageous. This government needs to take a good hard look at itself. One of the proudest things you ever see on election night, whether you've won or you've lost, is a prime minister who stands up and says that they will govern for all. This Prime Minister has failed that test, not just in my electorate but across Melbourne's west. He has failed that test.

Tarneit train station is the second busiest V/Line station in the state of Victoria, and you have to get there before 7 am to get a park. These are families who are dropping off children at early childhood education centres at 6 am and picking them up at six that night, and they're travelling for two hours a day. They need this government to start to care. They need this government to have a good hard look at itself, the way it budgets and the way it apportions taxpayer funds, remembering that people in my community pay taxes too. It's time for this government to wake up. It's time for this government to take the outer suburbs of Melbourne's west seriously.

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