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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-28 Daily Xml
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FLOODING, PORT ADELAIDE

The Hon. M. PARNELL (16:11): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Mineral Resources Development, representing the Minister for Infrastructure, a question about the flooding of a contaminated soil dump at Port Adelaide.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: In the past couple of days there has been much discussion in the media about flooding on Saturday night in the vicinity of the Newport Quays development at Port Adelaide and, in particular, at Fletcher's Slip. The flooding inundated stockpiles of contaminated soil placed there by the Land Management Corporation. Yesterday, I received a copy of a letter addressed to the EPA from Tony Kearney, Chairperson of the Port Adelaide branch of the National Trust. Mr Kearney's letter, in the form of formal complaint, states:

On the evening of Saturday the 25th of April between 4.15 and 7pm there was a king tide in Port Adelaide, the result of which was that Jenkins Street, Fletcher's Slip and the former GMH site were inundated with river water for more than two hours.

As an LMC Community Forum member, I, along with numerous others from community organisations and as community members, have for more than two years been telling the LMC that their plans for locating stockpiles of earth in the Jenkins Street precinct were courting disaster, so when we were informed that contaminated soil was to be relocated to the heritage listed Fletcher's Slip area, we aired our major concerns and pointed out that it would only lead to the soil being washed into the river. On Saturday night this came to fruition.

The letter continues:

Our complaint is that known contaminated soil has been deposited on a site that is prone to flood and that said soil has then been washed off the site and into the Port River, a dolphin sanctuary. Our branch...informed an EPA officer of the consequences when the site was being assessed for a place to relocate the soil and frankly can't believe that the EPA granted the LMC permission to deposit contaminated soil on this known flood prone area.

We expect there to be an independent inquiry undertaken and some formal action taken against those responsible as their action (or inactions) have led to the foreseeable situation of the Port River being polluted.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Why did the Land Management Corporation place the contaminated soil at Fletcher's Slip without adequate protection despite frequent warnings for more than two years by members of the LMC Community Forum that the area was very likely to be flooded in a king tide?

2. How much contaminated soil flowed into the Port River dolphin sanctuary?

3. What heavy metals and minerals are contained within the contaminated soil dump, and what testing will be conducted on the Port River to identify which heavy metals were washed in?

4. As it was a condition of its development approval for the remediation of the site that these stockpiles not be inundated, did LMC contravene its development approval?

5. Will the government initiate an independent inquiry into this situation and, if not, why not?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (16:14): I did see some of the press reports, and I also read a transcript of some comments Mr Wayne Gibbings from the LMC made which indicated that any soil that had been washed into the river would, at most, be a 'couple of barrel loads', I think was the comment that was made. As I understand the situation, the reason the soil was moved was that originally there had been some soil, if I recall correctly, that had been right next to a primary school and, of course, in the summer months, with the dust blowing around, it was preferable to move that soil to a site where it would have less impact.

However, they are matters for my colleague. As I said, I will refer the question to the honourable member in another place and bring back a reply.

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