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LEAD POISONING FEAR AT KIDS’ PLAYGROUND
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● Clements Reserve playground in Reservoir.
■ A SECRET report to Darebin Councillors is said to suggests that there could be lead poisoning dangers at Clements Reserve in Clements Grove, Reservoir. Insiders claim that the Council executive have known for weeks about the potential poisoning danger to local children and pets, but very little has been done to protect local residents.
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The risk is said to have been detailed at length in a confidential 400-page report prepared by property risk consultants, Prensa. Copies of the report are said to have disappeared from the online system used by City of Darebin Councillors. The lead poisoning potential is said to have come from the area’s former use at a rifle range by the Northcote Rifle Range. Local residents and parkland visitors believe they have not been appropriately informed of the risks they may face. The land has already been the subject of asbestos fears. Observers say more should have already been done about signage,fencing and a community awareness campaign. It has been suggested that Greens influence at the Council objected to significant fencing at the reserve because of cosmetic concerns. Questions are being asked if the Environment Protection Authority was informed of the risk at the earliest possible opportunity. It is understood that an independent complaint has been lodged with the EPA by a concerned local resident. The complaint is understood to claim that there are lead ‘hot spots’ in the reserve that exceed safe levels. Informed locals say the problems started decades ago when the rifle range was allowed on the Darebin Creek swamp fringe decades
Kids playground may have lead residue from rifle range days ago, prior to nearby development of Dunne St and the Kingsbury residential area. The affected area, alongside a children’s playground, is said to have been barely covered with fresh soil. Clements Reserve is a ‘primary category’ parkland in the Darebin Open Space Category. At the Darebin Council meeting held three weeks ago (Oct. 25), Crs Tim Laurence and Gaetano Greco successfully moved to have safety measures established at Clements Reserve. Instructions were given for Councillors to be updated once discussions were held with the Environment Protection Authority. The motion required that the local community with a 300-metre radius of the asbestos contamination hotspot be advised, with details of the actions that Darebin Council was taking to manage the contamination. It was agreed that the Council erect temporary safety fencing with appropriate signage around the hotspot pemding a permanent solution that would likely require approval of the EPA. Crs Tom Hannan, Susanne Newton (Greens endorsed) and Susan Rennie (former Green) voted against the motion. A report about potential asbestos contamination at Clements Reserve first went before Darebin Councillors in June last year, 17 months ago. Officers said they conducted a ‘desktop review’ to understand the origins of the material. The Council staff said they took “immediate action” to mitigate public health risk from the contaminated soil.
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