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Proposed Waste Dump Site Information Objections to Proposed Waste Dump Site Environmental Threat to World Heritage Site Social Impact on the Community |
Photo of proposed site looking South from Waterfall Way boundary. Highlight indicates habitat to be cleared
Our Case
The location of a regional waste and rubbish dump, one which would accept waste from possibly all towns in the New England area, adjacent to the Gara River, is clearly a poor decision and exceedingly short-sighted. Even more so when one considers that the Gara River enters the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park (a World Heritage Site) just a short distance downstream from the waste and rubbish dump site.
Despite ADC consultants’ assertions to the contrary, the Gara Valley Environment Preservation Association is persuaded by international arguments that we must expect that all landfills will leak at some stage or other in their life. While the impact on local businesses and the local community is important, the Gara Valley Environment Preservation Association firmly believes that the environmental threat posed by this proposed ‘mega-dump’ is totally unacceptable.
The preservation and protection of Australia’s inland waterways has justifiably received much attention in recent times, both from the public and our elected politicians. Yet, it is clear that this decision by Armidale Dumaresq Council is pushing in complete opposition to that trend and can only lead to further damage to some of our nation’s most important and vulnerable waterways and wilderness areas.
We believe that concerned non-governmental organisations, our elected politicians, relevant government departments and all members of the local community have a duty to take it upon themselves to investigate this matter further. Indeed, our preliminary inquiries of state and national organisations with an interest and/or responsibility for preserving the environment have indicated that in their opinion, if the Armidale Dumaresq Council persists in planning to locate a landfill within the World Heritage catchment area, the issue will inevitably end up in the Land and Environment Court.
It is our further hope that all will come to same conclusion that the Gara Valley Environment Preservation Association has already reached, that the decision to locate a regional waste and rubbish dump on the Gara River is indefensible and risks a major environmental disaster.
