Werribee residents oppose toxic dump
By Ian Haywood
MELBOURNE — A strong community campaign has arisen in Werribee, a town just west of Melbourne, in response to a planned toxic dump on the town's outskirts. The site is an exhausted quarry owned by mining giant CSR.
CSR has assured residents that the conversion to a "waste management facility" poses no risk. Considering that CSR's management of the quarry has produced numerous complaints, locals and environment groups are naturally cynical.
For example, salts in the quarry discharge are responsible for the deaths of many trees surrounding and downstream from the quarry. CSR has offered to plant salt-resistant trees in place of the of the 200-year-old red gums.
CSR has responded to protests with the lame assertion that wastes from factories in Melbourne's industrial west should be disposed of in the west. Should the factory profits also be disposed of in the west?
The dump is a major issue in the upcoming council elections. Werribee Residents against the Toxic Dump plans a youth concert, plus another rally in April to coincide with the release of the environmental impact statement.
Harry van Moorst, a prominent member of the campaign, hopes the government will reject CSR's application for a licence. Should CSR be successful, he predicts the campaign will increase in intensity.
For further information, or to get involved, phone Harry van Moorst on (03) 9741-6306.