Page 4173 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 21 September 2011
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MS BRESNAN: A supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Bresnan.
MS BRESNAN: Minister, given that the area around ESI was washed down and it flowed into the Flemington Ponds, what will happen to the presumably contaminated waste and what ecological impacts will it have on the ponds?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Bresnan for the question. The issue of contamination into waterways was addressed in some detail in my statement yesterday. To reiterate: Sullivans Creek and the Flemington Ponds have been bunded by temporary bunds to prevent the water flowing further downstream. Comprehensive testing is ongoing in relation to any possible contamination of the ponds and the area of Sullivans Creek upstream of the ponds, heading back into Mitchell.
The contamination at this stage is oil based, so there is a quantity of oil from the factory site which has flowed down into the waterway and the ponds. What that oil contains, other than oil itself—ie, does it contain other contaminants?—is the subject of ongoing testing. The material itself is being removed by authorised removalists who are pumping that material from the waterway and the ponds and removing it for safe disposal under an authorisation from the EPA.
This exercise is ongoing and it is the reason why Flemington Road northbound is still closed, because of the need to get large vehicles onto that side of the road to extract that material and also to prevent any member of the public from coming into contact with that material or that operation.
MS HUNTER: A supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Hunter.
MS HUNTER: Minister, when will the post-incident analysis be complete and will you make all of it publicly available as soon as it is complete?
MR CORBELL: The post-incident analysis of who, Mr Speaker? Can Ms Hunter clarify her question?
MR SPEAKER: Ms Hunter, would you like to briefly clarify?
Ms Hunter: It is about when the post-incident analysis will be complete and whether you will be publicly releasing all of it.
MR CORBELL: Whose post-incident analysis?
Ms Hunter: The government’s review into what has gone on in this instance. I understand you are analysing it and will have a review into it, so it is the government inquiry.
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