By Jessica Micallef
Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn is throwing his support behind Sunbury residents in a bid to block a proposal to send toxic soil Sunbury’s way.
Mr Finn will be presenting a petition to Parliament this month, asking the state government to reject the necessary permits required to allow waste management and recycling company Hi-Quality to treat and dispose of soil excavated from the West Gate Tunnel project at the Sunbury Eco-Hub on Sunbury Road.
As of Wednesday last week, 900 individuals had signed the petition.
Mr Finn said he was “vehemently opposed“ to the proposal to dump the toxic waste in Sunbury.
“I think it is an outrage that is is being considered,“ he said.
“Just down the road they are building a new housing estate.
“I don’t know how the developers feel about this … but it is a threat to their investment but it is also a threat to the lives of people who will be buying homes there.
“As we know, PFAS is poisonous and it is a threat to everybody in this area and I include myself in that area because I live in Bulla.
“I have to say it is a real slap in the face to local people.“
According to Mr Finn, Hi-Quality briefed residents on the proposal in the form of letterbox drops. But Mr Finn said that was not good enough and that the community had not been properly briefed on the matter.
“If that is consultation then that is not on,“ he said.
“I think there has not been any proper consultation and that does not surprise me.
“I have no doubt that if we did not have the [COVID-19] restrictions, there would already be thousands of people gathering outside the Sunbury Road site.“
Deb Butler has lived in Sunbury for 12 years, and said she had not been informed about the proposal until she stumbled across Facebook group Sunbury Against Toxic Soil in May.
“I was shocked to hear this,“ she said.
“Since then I have been trying to get it out there, talking about it and making people aware of what is happening in their backyard.
“We don’t want this dumped in our community because of the ongoing concerns. There is no turning back from this.“
To view the petition : bit.ly/3gbweEl
