Irresponsible dumping: the Portsmith landfill

I have had a number of people phone and make contact with me in relation to my questions about the operation of the Bedminster composting plant and the dumping of untreated household waste in the Portsmith landfill over the past 6 months.

I have included the media release below and invite anyone else with pertinent information to contact me so that we can get to the bottom of the issue:

23 January 2008
UNTREATED household waste continues to be dumped at the Portsmith landfill each day despite it being closed for many years because of suspected toxic leaching.
Cairns Regional Council mayoral candidate Val Schier said urgent answers were needed about what was going on with waste treatment in Cairns.
“The Portsmith landfill was meant to be rehabilitated as parklands once the Bedminster composting plant was up and running,” Ms Schier said.
“This has taken some time, but both Cairns City Council and CEC/Sita assure us the plant is at last fully operational.
“But untreated waste is still being dumped at the site. Trucks are going in and out at a great rate of 15-minute intervals.”
“Why is this happening?” Ms Schier said.
“I understand FGF/Thiess did due a diligence investigation on the Bedminster operation and decided it wasn’t viable without the contract being changed.
“Then CEC/Sita purchased the composting plant two years ago for $5 million with a contract determined in a closed session of council and an embargo on the contract for three years.
“Is the cost of operating the troubled composting plant too great and it’s easier and cheaper to dump the waste from Cairns and Douglas shires?
“Has the Portsmith landfll been quietly reopened so that the untreated waste can be dumped and the cost of composting be avoided?
“The Cairns City Council website used to show actual volumes (in tonnes and metres) from the waste treatment processes: how much was going to the composting plant, how much was being diverted to the Mareeba landfill and how much treated compost was available for landscaping and agricultural purposes.
“Curiously, this information no longer available on the website. Why?
“Does Cairns City Council and CEC/Sita have something to hide? Are the ratepayers of Cairns being misled? Is Trinity Inlet again at risk from leaching of chemicals?”
Ms Schier said it was important these questions were answered and the people of Cairns informed of what was going on in the household waste industry.