JULY 7, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Sunbury ights toxic soil bid
Police speak to drivers at a checkpoint. (Damjan Janevski) 210687_01
Hume divided By Laura Michell Sunbury residents have dodged a second lockdown despite the state government last week issuing stay-at-home orders for other parts of Hume. Health Minister Jenny Mikakos on Friday revealed that the 3064 postcode, which takes in Craigieburn, Roxburgh Park, Mickleham, Donnybrook and Kalkallo, had the highest number of active coronavirus cases in Victoria. She said there were 52 active cases in the area as of Friday. Postcode 3047 – Broadmeadows, Dallas and Jacana – had the second-highest number of active cases, with 25. he postcodes are among 10 across Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs in which stage three restrictions were reintroduced last week. Two more postcodes and nine public housing buildings were put in
lockdown at the weekend. Across Hume, there were 104 active cases of the virus as of Sunday. he municipality has recorded 223 cases since the pandemic began. A family outbreak in Roxburgh Park has spread to 28 people across multiple households, with two new cases linked to the cluster on Sunday. Police checkpoints have been set up at the entrances to locked down suburbs to ensure residents only leave their homes for essential reasons. Hume council has closed its customer service centres, leisure centres and libraries in Broadmeadows and Craigieburn. Services in Sunbury remain open and will not accept visitors from the locked down postcodes. Hume mayor Carly Moore said she was worried the second lockdown would be diicult for the community. “It has been a tough time for our community
and we were starting to see some signs of hope. We were starting to get really optimistic about what the future might look like and realistically, we are right back to square one.” It comes as Sunbury MP Josh Bull reminded residents they were not immune to COVID-19 because they lived in Sunbury. Mr Bull made the comments ater a student at Sunbury College tested positive for coronavirus last week, resulting in the school being closed to staf for three days to allow for cleaning. Victoria’s chief health oicer, Brett Sutton said it was critical for people to practice good hygiene in and outside the home regardless of where they live. “We are still seeing new cases in the community,” Professor Sutton said. “Don’t take this disease lightly, if you feel unwell with any symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, you should stay home and get tested.”
Toxic soil from the West Gate Tunnel project is not wanted in Sunbury and local residents are determined to make their message heard. Sunbury resident Chris O’Neill has created a Facebook group, Sunbury Against Toxic Soil, with an aim to make more residents aware of a proposal by waste management and recycling company Hi-Quality to treat and dispose of soil excavated from the tunnel project at the Sunbury Eco-Hub on Sunbury Road. More than 800 people have joined the group since it was started ive weeks ago. “I think they [Hi-Quality] are sweeping it under, what I am calling, the COVID-19 rug,” Mr O’Neill said. “A lot of people I have spoken to didn’t even know what was going on.” Mr O’Neill said a majority of the group’s members were against sending toxic soil Sunbury’s way. While large gatherings of people are banned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr O’Neil said residents and group members were limited in trying to spread awareness and stop the proposal. However, they have created and delivered lyers calling on the community to reach out to politicians. “I am putting the lyers out there so residents can email and call their politicians and ask them the question – ‘what are you doing for our community?’ “We are also going to petition through the Upper House … for the pure reason that what they are doing is to save money. “It is cheaper to dump it [soil] in a landill in Bulla and Maddingley, than it is to treat it and dispose of it ethically.” Sunbury MP Josh Bull said he had been advised by the EPA that groundwater tests along the West Gate Tunnel showed “very low” levels of PFAS. “I have still raised the communities concerns abut the proximity of future homes, businesses, waterways and the potential transport corridor associated with such a proposal.” Jessica Micallef
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