NOVEMBER 3, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
‘Low-key’ salute The Gisborne and Macedon Ranges RSL will mark Remembrance Day this year with a “low-key” service. With normal Remembrance Day services unable to go ahead due to the COVID-19 pandemic, president Robin Funston said about 12 RSL members will commemorate the day at the Gisborne War Memorial. “We are not going to have a Poppy Day Appeal this year either,” he said. “It’s disappointing. Every year we have done really well with the collections and we are well supported by the community so that all goes into our welfare fund for looking after veterans. “We are just having a short service, we will say The Ode, we will lay a wreath and have a minute of silence at 11am.” About 150 people usually attend the Remembrance Day service at the Gisborne War Memorial. Mr Funston still encouraged locals to pay their respects to fallen veterans. “People can come down and lay a wreath at the war memorial,” he said.
President Robin Funston (front) with club members Daniel Hall, Ian Arnel (secretary) and John Hike. (Damjan Janevski) 219410_01
Jessica Micallef
Toxic soil fight ramps up By Jessica Micallef Sunbury and Bulla should not be the dumping ground for toxic soil from the West Gate Tunnel Project: That’s the message Sunbury residents are making loud and clear. Locals have stepped up their campaign to fight Hi-Quality’s proposal to send toxic soil to the Sunbury Eco-Hub in Bulla. They have taken their protest to the streets – decking the town with posters, stickers and signs. Sunbury resident, and creator of the Sunbury Against Toxic Soil Facebook group, Chris O’Neill said he was doing as much as he could to promote the message of many residents.
“We have strategically placed banners throughout the community, we have bumper stickers and we have our website,” he said. “We are starting to get more and more coverage which is what we need and we are getting more people talking about it … which is promising.” Although community support is ramping up, Mr O’Neill said some residents still had no idea about Hi-Quality’s proposal. He said it was a concern that residents neighbouring the Sunbury Eco-Hub had not been made aware of the potential for Bulla to become a dumping ground for toxic soil. “A person lives next door, or very close to Hi-Quality and they didn’t even know that
this was happening,” he said. “The message is not cutting through to people. It’s clear that Hi-Quality, the EPA [Environment Protection Authority] and Transurban have not engaged properly with the community. “We heard they [Hi-Quality] dropped letters in about 2000 letterboxes. They hit less than four per cent of the population. “They should have hit every single letterbox.” Mr O’Neill said COVID-19 restrictions on large public gatherings made it impossible for residents, including the 2700-strong members of his Facebook group, to publicly voice their anger. “We don’t want to break the law to get the message out there … there are people itching to get out and have their say but we can’t.
“We need to get the community behind us, help get the message out there and help alert people to the problem that faces us.” The EPA approved Hi-Quality’s Environment Management Plan (EMP) in September to send the toxic soil to Bulla. It has also approved EMPs for Maddingly Brown Coal in Bacchus Marsh and for Cleanaway’s Ravenhall landfill. The approval of an EMP does not mean a final decision has been made on where the soil would be sent. A site still needs approval from the state planning minister. Transurban, the site operators of the West Gate Tunnel Project, will decide where the soil is to be processed.
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