PROTECTING THE WORLD HERITAGE LISTED OXLEY WILD RIVERS NATIONAL PARK FROM LANDFILL CONTAMINATION

 

 

The Nature of the Threat

The Gara Valley Environment Preservation Association Inc. (GVEPA) was formed in late 2002 to protest the then proposal by the Armidale Dumaresq Council to construct a putrescible landfill in the Gara Valley approximately 2 km from, and draining into, the Gara Water Supply dam. This proposal was eventually abandoned only to be replaced by the current proposal to locate the landfill a short distance downstream from the water supply dam. In GVEPA's opinion, this proposal is also flawed, primarily upon environmental grounds, because the chosen site is:

- a short distance, upstream, from the UNESCO listed World Heritage Oxley Wild Rivers National Park;
- intimately connected with threatened species (both flora and fauna) or habitats, including migratory birds;
- prone to local flooding with a high likelihood of leakage of leachate to the environment.

Further, environmental contamination of the World Heritage Area will, inevitably, occur because:

- international literature makes it clear that there is no landfill liner system available that can guarantee that leachate will not escape into the environment;
- alternative waste treatment systems cannot guarantee that dangerous chemicals, such as heavy metals (eg from dry cells) and herbicides/pesticides, will not find their way into the landfill - indeed the ADC proposal specifically states that'emergency spills' will be dumped in it;
- chemicals in landfills are known often to recombine into toxic leachate and it must be assumed that this will end up in the World Heritage river system.

Aspects of these threats are elaborated below - see 'Objections' below.

Photo1. Looking from the North to landfill site, highlighting a portion of the trees to be removed and proximity to Waterway. Waterway enters the Gara River some 600m to the left of photo.

 

Site Information

The proposed site is located approximately 12 km east of Armidale and is located 4km upstream from the World Heritage listed Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

It is located on a first and second order waterway and it is proposed that 'filling' will occur on this waterway. The Gara River, situated some 600m down gradient from the site, is a major feeder to the Macleay River and the World Heritage listed Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. The water from the Macleay River ends up as Kempsey's drinking water supply.

The site is located in a treed valley, the habitat for a number of endangered species. It is part of a 'wildlife corridor' linking Imbota nature reserve to the eastern side of the Gara River. The entrance and possibly the site contain White Box, Yellow Box, Blakely's Red Gum Woodland, listed as an Critically Endangered Ecological Community (CEEC) under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). Independent evaluation and access to the site has been denied until after the public consultation period has expired. Consequently, we have had to rely upon Environmental Assessment data on the site that was commissioned by Council's consultants (Maunsell Australia).

Entrance to the site will require construction of a major intersection off the scenic Waterfall Way (state tourist drive no. 17). The site road dissects the Critically Endangered Ecological Community listed above which is a known koala habitat. It must cross the two waterways shown on the map on page 9.

The site is fully visible in a number of locations from the Waterfall Way and for at least a kilometre. The NRMA voted the Waterfall Way as one of the 10 best drives in NSW and Australian Traveller Magazine voted it the No.3 most iconic drive in Australia.

As a Regional "Mega Dump" servicing a number of Local Government Areas, all areas serviced are West of Armidale. As the proposed site is East of Armidale, all waste must travel through the city to gain access to the site.

Site Owner Information

The proposed site is co-owned by Cr Ken Waters, who was a sitting Councillor on the Armidale Dumaresq Council and Chairman of Greening Australia (NSW) when council decided to proceed with Site7.

The other co-owner was a local real estate agent(at the time) who was approached earlier by Council to identify properties suitable for landfilling. He identified and offered his own site to Armidale Dumaresq Council. The site owners'handshake' deal at 20 times market value with a previous Council GM was deemed by legal advice to be non-binding.

Selected by Council to sit on the Landfill Consultative Committee (ADLCCC), the co-owner of the proposed site was the only site owner of all potential sites to be selected by Council to sit on the committee.

An objection was lodged to Council regarding the selection of the co-owner of Site 7 to the committee and the failure to comply with documented nomination procedures. Council responded that there were no Local Government guidelines for membership to a consultative committee.

Location of the proposed landfill and its proximity to the World heritage listed area:

Objections

The Armidale Dumaresq Council proposal is to construct a putrescible (Solid Waste Class 1) landfill lined with natural clay. Promises of an Inert landfill dissolved with the election of a new mayor.

The presence of a DIPNR licensed stock and domestic bore only 50 metres from the site boundary; water bearing at 6 metres, indicates the presence of an underlying aquifer which will be contaminated.

Of serious concern to the Gara Valley Environment Preservation Association is an observation of the site by Armidale Dumaresq Council's own consultants:

'..the site is located mid-catchment, with potential for flooding and there is previous evidence of flooding at the site'.

Flood prone locations are a prohibited location as listed under the Solid Waste Landfill EPA Guidelines.

For photo locations refer to aerial photo on page 7

Photo 2. Showing flooding on the 26th Feb 2007 at adjoining property following a storm of 28mm.

Catchment 300 metres West and immediately adjacent to proposed Landfill site:

Photo3. Looking from landfill site north/west towards Waterfall Way

Kempsey Council has written a letter to Armidale Dumaresq Council objecting to the construction of any Landfill in the Macleay Catchment due to potential water contamination issues.

 

The Department of Environment and Heritage lists at least 21 threatened or endangered species or species habitat that is, or is likely to occur within the 5km buffer zone. It also lists 7 migratory bird species that are known to occur within the area.

 

 

The NSW NPWS has issued a Plan of Management covering Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Cunnawarra National Park and Georges Creek Nature Reserve.

From the Plan of Management the NPWS express a concern about a vehicle accident posing a threat to water quality.

'The New England Highway, Oxley Highway and Waterfall Way cross the headwaters of most of the major streams that flow into Oxley Wild Rivers National Park at points close to the park boundaries. A vehicle accident involving a chemical or fuel spill would pose a major threat to water quality.'

Vehicle accidents are unavoidable but the placement of a Regional Dump in the proposed location undoubtedly poses a far greater threat to the environment, and it is avoidable.

Photo4. Proposed dump site (Looking from Western boundary) showing the treed nature of the site, slope and watercourse running through the middle of the proposed site.

With the imminent threat of pest, dust and disease contamination that the dump will pose to a neighbouring horticultural industry only 400m away, we believe that land compatibility issues with surrounding properties pose a serious social and economic threat that cannot be addressed by means other than adequate buffer zones. Unfortunately the site chosen has only a 50m site buffer.

Conclusion

Any pollution from the proposed site will enter the Macleay River a short distance downstream from the site. Given the recent and justified concern expressed by the public and elected politicians regarding the health of our waterways and rivers, it is astonishing that a local council is allowed to place such a significant waterway under threat.

Armidale Dumaresq Council is unable to guarantee that leachate will not escape from the proposed landfill site. Thus one can only conclude that should the new landfill be constructed, the Gara and Macleay rivers will be contaminated. This will have significant impact on the World heritage listed Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

 

Council's proposal as released in Community Newsletter No. 3, superimposed over aerial map.

Note. Quantity of trees to be removed

Photo locations in this document are indicated on the above map

The proposed regional waste and rubbish site is identified in the diagram below in red, highlighting waterways on which the site is proposed, proximity to major rivers and the World Heritage Listed Oxley Wild Rivers National Park starting at'Gara Falls Reserve':

Postscript

On 1 October, 2007, the Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) committee ruled that the proposal for the development that was prepared by Maunsell Australia and submitted as the ADC's proposal, was of sufficient concern for it declare that the development would, from time onwards, be a'controlled development', ie, one requiring the additional scrutiny of the Australian Government as well as the NSW Government. More specifically, the EPBC decision stated that:

The project is likely to have a significant impact on:

- World heritage properties (Sections 12 and 15A)
- National Heritage places (Sections 15B and 15C)

In GVEPA's view, this decision vindicates its concerns and we urge all ratepayers to insist that the ADC justify fully to all ratepayers, before committing them to the on-going costs of construction and operation, why it is right to spend $38 Million of their money on this facility in this location.