Contaminated Areas and Sites - A to Z

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Contaminated Waterways, Areas and Sites in Tasmania - A to Z

Contaminated Areas and Sites Legislation for Tasmania

Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network is reviewing the Tasmanian Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act [Part 5A - Contaminated Sites] and with advice from the Tasmanian Environmental Defenders Office have developed some key amendments.

The Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network's Contaminated Sites Legislative Amendments Position Paper December 2011 can be found at:

Toxic group's call for reforms on regulation of contaminated sites Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network Tasmanian Times, 14th December, 2011

[1]

The Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network's revised Contaminated Sites Legislative Amendments Options Paper September 2012 can be found at:

Tasmanian Greens called on to support pollution control reforms TPEHN & CRCSBCS Tasmanian Times, 14th September, 2012

TPEHN Legislative Options Paper Download

Background

Turning Tips into Playgrounds

During the 1960s the conversion of suburban tips in Hobart into playing fields and childrens recreation areas was a popular activity. According to the Hobart City Council it made economic sense.[1] At the time the council envisaged converting 60 acres of old refuse sites over the next 30 years [tips located at the Cross Roads on the Domain, at Wellesley Park in South Hobart, at New Town Bay and at Whitton's Quarry near the suburb of Dynnyrne]. These suburban rubbish tips are now well used sports ovals and outdoor recreation areas.

Water Contamination from existing Tip and Waste Sites

In 2001 a report of water contamination at existing tip sites in Tasmania highlighted the long-term effects of waste disposal on groundwater quality. The report identified five disposal sites that had contaminated groundwater; it included the Hobart City Council’s waste dump at McRobie’s Gully located in the suburb of South Hobart. The other sites with groundwater concerns were at Port Latta, Port Sorell, Mt George near Georgetown and Bridport.[2]

“Groundwater contamination has been discovered mostly on older sites which were not built to current standards but which have met the standard of the day", the then Minister of the Environment, David Llewellyn said.

Mr Llewellyn said that while the Minerals Resources Tasmania report would not be finalised until November 2001, the Government believed it was necessary to start working with municipal councils to identify the extent of contamination and determine whether future groundwater protection strategies were required. The study also looked at the two existing land-fill tip sites in the Glenorchy City Council municipality at Jackson and Chapel Streets.[2]

In 2002 a Mineral Resources Report by Andrew Ezzy The effects of waste disposal on groundwater quality in Tasmania was made public. Among many serious findings it stated that the Howrah Landfill site was an uncontrolled site.[3] See also the Wentworth Park waste dump - Howrah Tipsite on Landfill pollution in Tasmania [2] There was no monitoring done during landfilling or when the landfill was opened up for housing.

In 2003 Tasmania's State of the Environment Report acknowledged that at least 100 of 176 identified landfill sites were likely to contain toxic substances that could contaminate ground water and soil.[4][5] Submissions from the Tasmanian Conservation Trust and various Tasmanian politicians to have such contaminated sites registered on land titles have been unsuccessful[6]

A - Z Rivers

TO BE DEVELOPED

  • Arthur River
  • Bakers Creek
  • Comstock Creek
  • Conundrum Creek
  • Derwent River
  • Duck River
  • George River
  • Hobart Rivulet
  • King River
  • Linda Creek
  • Oonah Creek
  • Pea Soup Creek
  • Pieman River
  • Queen River
  • Ruby Creek
  • Savage River
  • Silver Lead Creek
  • South Esk River
  • St Pauls River
  • Tamar River
  • Tinstone Creek
  • Waratah River
  • Websters Creek
  • Zeehan Rivulet

A - Z Land

  • Austin's Ferry
  • Burnie
Tassie's toxic time bomb Nick Clark Mercury, 6 December, 2009 [3]
  • Chapel Street, Glenorchy
  • Geilston Bay
  • George Town
  • Goodwood
  • Gormanston
  • Lenah Valley
Pollution watchdog failure sparks wider fears Linda Hunt ABC News, 7th November, 2011 [4]
Conflict in the Suburbs ABC 7.30, 4th November, 2011 [5]
New evidence Tasmanian EPA not doing it's job Kay Seltitzas [6] Comment 12 from B McIntosh
  • Lindisfarne Bay
  • Lutana
  • New Town Bay
  • Old Proctor's Road, Mt Nelson
  • Price of Wales Bay
  • Pottery Creek Road. Glenorchy
  • The Domain
  • Queenstown
  • Rosebery
LEAD Action News "Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce Tasmania, Rosebery Heavy Metal Table 2008" Note: "House 2" in the Heavy Metal Table is 14 Murchison Street, Rosebery.
  • Royal George
Demands over tainted water Michelle Paine The Mercury, 19th July, 2010 [7]
The LEAD Group Incorporated and Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce Tasmania, "Arsenic and Lead in drinking water – flawed advice on testing. Residents notified of alarming levels of arsenic and lead in drinking water at Royal George, but poor advice given to doctors on how to test for exposure", Media Release, September 3, 2010.

webpage below]

  • Wellesley Park, South Hobart
  • Williamsford
  • Zeehan

[In coming months, TPEHN members will upload historical material on many of these waste-landfill sites and add Googlearth contacts]

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. ↑ Hobart Council's 90-year plan to make playgrounds out of rubbish tips The Mercury page 13, 26 May 1968
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Water contamination fear from tips. The Mercury, 31 June, 2001
  3. ↑ A. R. Ezzy, The effects of waste disposal on groundwater quality in Tasmania: An overview of NHT funded project NLP13188, Geological Survey Tasmania, December 2002.
  4. ↑ Tasmanian Parliamentary Hansard, 18 June 2003
  5. ↑ Tasmanian State of the Environment Report 2003
  6. ↑ Tasmanian Parliamentary Hansard Matter of Public Importance: Contaminated Landfill Sites, 28 April 2004

External resources

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