CALVERT residents are ramping up opposition to any new dump in the area as Ipswich City Council investigates options to replace the Rosewood refuse centre.
Funds have been allocated in this year’s Budget to install access to council-owned former landfill and nightsoil transfer site at Rosewood Laidley Road, one of the locations Council is considering for a new “Western Resource Recovery Facility”.
Residents said they had been left in the dark about council’s proposed “Western Refuse and Transfer Station project”.
Council is investigating options to replace the Rosewood dump at Oakleigh Colliery Road with a larger facility that will meet future demands as the area grows.
No councillors attended the second meeting of residents held at Rosewood Library last Wednesday.
Councillors Sheila Ireland and Jacob Madsen attended a meeting held in June, however residents said their questions were unanswered or “brushed aside”.
Resident Rachel Berlin said access to the Calvert site, contamination, pollution, noise and erosion were major concerns with the proposal.
“One of the main commitments that council made was the promise for no more dumps to be made in the area. The label that the current Rosewood facility has of ‘temporary’ after almost 30 years, well, where did that come from?” she asked.
“We want to see reports that would have been made from the analysis to determine why the current site at Rosewood is no longer viable. These reports have to exist.
“Environment factors of the [Rosewood Laidley Road] land, habitat to wildlife, access to the site on a 100km per hour zone on the crest of the hill, mitigation to neighbouring properties, biohazards and the buffer zone between residential properties and waste facilities are all part of my concerns.”
Division 1 Councillor Sheila Ireland said she did not support the Calvert option as the site was too close to the road and would be a costly option.
Cr Ireland said there had not been formal consultation on the option because councillors were waiting on a report expected to come back to council in October.
“I am aware of the 2022 – 2023 council budget report that states that money has already been put aside to install access to the new Western Resource Recovery Facility on Rosewood Laidley Road,” Cr Ireland said.
“This was put aside in case it needed to be used, but we have to wait for the reports to come back.”
Division 4 Councillor Kate Kunzelmann said the council had to look at options for a new waste transfer facility as the Rosewood facility would not meet future demand.
“The important topic is that council owns the site at Calvert so council does not have to purchase it, unlike the other areas that council are looking at,” Cr Kunzelmann said.
“We have what you would refer to as a ‘dump’ in Rosewood already which is not fit for purpose and will not meet the needs for the future and so this is why we are looking into another one.
“It is too small, not fit for purpose. We have to consider the future.”
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said although it was too early to rule out options for the proposed Western Refuse and Transfer Station project, she was keen to see council withdraw the Calvert site from consideration.
“While council is still undertaking its process which will include dedicated community consultation, I believe it would be inappropriate to remove a potential site at this early stage,” Cr Harding said.
“As councillors, we need to let council undertake its process and complete the feasibility studies for the proposed sites and bring those findings to councillors once complete.
“Residents across all sites will be given a fair and equal opportunity to put their concerns and views forward as part of the public consultation phase.”
