JUNE 26, 2018 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
(Joe Mastroianni)
Play the gnome game Get ready for a gnome adventure – the mythical creatures will be hiding at 25 businesses around Sunbury in the next two weeks as part of the Great Sunbury Gnome Hunt. Gnome hunters can pick up passports from participating businesses and schools. The passports will be stamped each time a gnome is discovered. Goonawarra Primary School Parents and Friends member Heidi Saffery said the hunt helped to raise money for Goonawarra, Kismet Park, Killara, Sunbury, Sunbury West and Sunbury Heights primary schools. “The children enjoy having lots of fun looking for gnomes hidden in businesses around Sunbury which offer great discounts and prizes,” she said. “The businesses love it, the kids love it and it’s lots of fun for everyone.” Passports can also be purchased at the Sunbury Information Centre. The hunt will run from June 30 until July 15. Details: www.facebook.com/ SunburyGnomeHunt DARCY
Laura Michell
Bulla tip out of action By Laura Michell The troubled Bulla tip has stopped accepting waste after its licence was suspended by the Environment Protection Authority. The EPA suspended the licence of tip operator BTQ Group earlier this month, forcing it to stop landfilling at Bulla. EPA chief executive Nial Finegan said the tip had been the site of multiple licence breaches in recent years and the EPA was concerned about the way in which the tip was being run. He said breaches included exposed friable asbestos, litter and dust beyond the boundary, multiple subsurface fires, uncovered waste,
waste deposited beyond the site boundary and deep excavations within previously filled landfill cells that had culminated in serious occupational safety issues and health risks to on-site workers and nearby community members and an environmental risk to nearby sensitive receptors and agricultural use. “Suspending the licence of a landfill operator and forcing it to cease accepting waste, we hope, will provide the time required to bring its operation back into compliance,” Mr Finegan said. The decision to suspend the licence follows EPA action on March 13 in which the tip operator was ordered to cease the shredding
and movement of waste containing identified asbestos fragments. In April last year, BTQ Group was fined more than $7700 by the EPA after it was caught not covering dumped waste. The EPA used a drone to gather photographs and video footage of extensive areas of exposed waste. “Waste management is an increasingly important issue and the community has the reasonable expectation that landfill sites will be properly operated within the terms of their licences, and if they are not, that the regulator will use its powers to enforce compliance,” Mr Finegan said. Sunbury Residents Association president
Join a vibrant community
Peter Free said the community welcomed the decision. “This is a win for us. We have had concerns about the tip for quite a few years,” he said. “The smell, rubbish and fires burning under the tip have been ongoing concerns for us and a lot of people have been questioning what is actually being dumped in the tip.” BTQ Group will need to prove to the EPA that it can operate the tip according to its licence in order for the suspension to be lifted. It can appeal the EPA’s decision at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. BTQ Group did not respond to Star Weekly’s request for comment.
Sacred Heart College Kyneton
Year 7 2020 enrolment applications close on 27 July 2018 Limited places are available for 2019 enrolments Tour our Vibrant Learning Community
Approaching College Tours - Tuesday 17 July & Thursday 16 August, commencing at 9.15am For tour bookings or enrolment enquiries contact the College Registrar, Denise Lawrence: T: 5421 1200 E: dlawrence@shckyneton.catholic.edu.au W: www.shckyneton.catholic.edu.au A Ministry of Mercy Education Limited - ABN 69 154 531 870
A Vibrant Life