Tara Murray
There will be no rate relief for Brimbank residents affected by the long-running underground fires at the Kealba landfill.
Many residents living near the fires, which have been burning for more than 18 months, can’t use their backyards or go outside due to the smell, and for some, associated health impacts.
At least one resident has written to the council asking for rates to be suspended, while another asked about the possibility of rates being decreased at the most recent council meeting.
But mayor Ranka Rasic said rates legislation did not allow council to make changes to rates for individual properties.
The Barro Group recently admitted the fires could burn for another 12 months, well beyond the Environment Protection Authority’s deadline of July 31 this year.
In a statement last week, the EPA said it had refused the Barro Group’s application to extend the date for extinguishing the hot spots.
“The EPA will commission an independent analysis. This will ensure the remaining works and deadlines for remediation are met, or achieved, as soon as possible.”
Cr Rasic said the council remained concerned for the community and that a solution needs to be found fast.
“To have the hot spot issue continuing for years on end is unacceptable, and it’s extremely frustrating that the Barro Group that operates the landfill will not commit to resolving these issues by the date set out by the EPA,” she said.
“Council has written months ago to the landfill operator, the EPA and the minister for energy, environment and climate change, flagging the need for a resolution to the ongoing landfill hot spots.
“Brimbank council has also been calling for action, including an independent investigation into the management of this ongoing issue and a speedy resolution of the issue, and it is frustrating that the matter is still not resolved.
“This wouldn’t happen in the east so why is it allowed to happen here in the west? We look to the EPA to take strong action to force compliance by the landfill operator.”
Western Metropolitan MP Catherine Cumming raised the issue of the fires in Parliament last week.
On behalf of Kelba resident Maria Marshall, she asked Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio whether the state government would ensure the Barro Group is fined for non-compliance and whether more measures will be taken to extinguish the fires as soon as possible.
