Phillip Barresi (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Sunday is Clean Up Australia Day and a lot of us will be participating, I am sure. We will be assisting our local, urban based or rural and regional groups to be part of a magnificent day, where we express our concern for recycling and for keeping our neighbourhood tidy. But the concepts of recycling and maintaining a good, clean environment do not always attract widespread support. That is because of the location of some of these facilities.

I have spoken in this place before about the Heatherdale Road Action Group in my electorate, who were formed after I brought to their attention the waste transfer station recycling centre being set up in their neighbourhood. Since then, we have continued to have problems, not only with one waste transfer recycling centre but now a second organisation just down the road, which is involved in waste-metal recycling. The metal-waste recycling organisation is called Southern Recycling, and the waste transfer station is called Eastern Recycling. Both organisations continue to cause great angst amongst the residents—residents who, I may say, do go out on Clean Up Australia Day to participate in various activities and make sure their neighbourhood is tidy.

The location of these sites causes a great deal of concern. While the location adjoins the infamous Scoresby Freeway site, it is also across the road from a lot of residents’ homes, and the issues of noise, dust and health concerns are very prominent in the public’s mind. Both organisations have been taken to VCAT. Both continue to be accused of breaching EPA and council rules on noise and dust. These organisations need to be mindful that, while there is general community support for the entire concept of recycling and waste transfer stations, their location is very inappropriate. They need to be very mindful of the effect that they are having on the community.

I have called on the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage to introduce at the federal level a nationwide code on urban based recycling and waste transfer stations. I am pleased that the parliamentary secretary has agreed to meet with the group and do whatever he can.

Principally, of course, this issue is very much one that lies in the hands of Steve Bracks and the planning regime which he has introduced into the state of Victoria. It must be tightened up on behalf of all the residents. (Time expired)