Hon Bob Thomas questions the Minister for the Environment regarding a proposed landfill site near Albany, raising concerns about water contamination and consistency with the Waste 2020 strategy. The Minister denies preliminary approval and addresses concerns about water contamination.

AnsweredQoN 790Legislative Council
Asked
12 September 2000
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

790. Hon Bob Thomas to the Attorney General representing the Minister for the Environment:
(1) Did the DEP give their preliminary approval to a proposed landfill site at Palmdale Road in Manypeaks with an estimated lifespan of forty years?
(2) If so, how does the Minister for the Environment reconcile the decision with the statement in the Albany Advertiser on August 17 2000 that the Waste 2020 strategy would lead to a "shift from waste disposal to resource recovery to achieve zero waste by 2020"?
(3) Is the Minister aware that the proposed putrescible matter landfill site is situated directly over an underground aquifer containing large volumes of high quality drinking water just 30 kilometres from Albany?
(4) How does the Minister reconcile this with the fact that we are in the middle of an international water summit that is painting an alarming picture of the future scarcity of drinking water across the globe?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
23 November 2000
Response time
72 days
The Minister Replied:
(1) No. The Department has received an application for works Approval to establish a landfill site in Palmdale Road, but is still assessing the proposal.
(2) There is no inconsistency with the statement referred to in the Albany Advertiser on August 17, 2000. The vision of the Waste 2020 strategy is to view and use waste as a resource, rather than as a disposal problem.
(3) The proposed landfill site is in an area of good quality clay material, where groundwater is located some 30 metres below the surface. The Department has been advised by an officer from the Water and Rivers Commission that the site is not in any proclaimed water reserve.
(4) Not applicable.

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