ANSWERS and transparency were the main requests from residents who met with Ipswich City Councillors Sheila Ireland and Jacob Madsen at the Rosewood Library last week to discuss Council’s plans for a new refuse centre in the area.
The Council recently received funding under the South East Queensland Community Stimulus Program for the upgrade of its two refuse and recycling centres at Rosewood and Riverview. As a result, a proposed new site for the Rosewood area is the now closed Lanefield landfill on the Rosewood Laidley Road at Calvert.
The meeting was attended by residents who live at Lanefield and Rosewood, all of whom said that they believe the Council was not keeping them up to date with their plans for the proposed site and that the Lanefield site is simply not adequate.
The residents questioned why Councillors for Division 4 Russell Milligan and Kate Kunzelmann were not in attendance to discuss the matter, which they said is an extremely important topic for the community.
David Pahlke said that when he was a Councillor, he was advised about six years ago that the current transfer station at Rosewood needed to be moved and relocated.
“A site at Thagoona was suggested and I can recall somewhat raising my eyebrows,” he said.
“The main thing is though there must be reports in the hands of the bureaucrats about assessing why the current site is unsuitable and details as to what council are actually looking for.
“Those reports and any other reports, need to be made public.”
In addition to raising transparency in regard to reports and information, David also suggested that a good location for a new centre would be opposite the current transfer station where New Hope was operating off Rosewood Marburg Road.
“I find it simply ludicrous to suggest the Lanefield site, and I support all of the residents in their opposition to that proposal,” he said.
“Also, the township of Rosewood need their Councillors to be involved in any community consultations that take place.”
The Moreton Border News contacted the Council for comment after the meeting.
Mayor Teresa Harding said the Council was currently investigating various sites in the Rosewood area
“Council looks for opportunities to enhance the facilities to meet ongoing population growth and community demands for improved waste management and recycling” she said.
“This [Council] assessment will include criteria such as the size of the land parcel, property ownership, access to road networks, logistics and a range of other factors.
“Council is assessing the feasibility of the existing location at 94 Oakleigh Colliery Road, the property directly opposite at 95 Oakleigh Colliery Road, a location on Urry Road and another on the corner of Urry and Rosewood Marburg Road, as well as the council owned land on Rosewood Laidley Road at Calvert.
“Several of these locations are privately owned and if suitable would be subject to commercial negotiations,” Cr Harding said.
“Council will be consulting with local residents once the outcomes of the feasibility study are available.
“The Western Recycling and Refuse Centre Feasibility Assessment will be published and will be available online, once it has been received and endorsed by council.”
Cr Paul Tully said the current location at Rosewood “presents numerous challenges including a limited site size, lack of amenities and the high cost of redeveloping the facility to suit modern standards”.
“Council has engaged engineering consultants, ATC Williams, to undertake a feasibility assessment of several sites to determine the best options available to adequately cater for our growing population.”
Cr Ireland added that she and Cr Madsen are always happy to meet with residents and work through any concerns they may have about potential change that would impact where they live.
“It is understandable that the residents have concerns around the project and any specific issues raised with us have been forwarded to the project team and we will continue to consult with the community and their feedback will inform the decision-making process,” she said.
