BMI Quietly Lodges Application For New Ipswich Toxic Super-Dump In Koala Habitat Area

Dump operators BMI have submitted a development application for a new toxic mega
-dump next to the suburbs of Collingwood Park, Dinmore, Riverview and Ebbw Vale despite promising to inform the community before doing so.

In January this year, representatives of BMI (CPR Group) met with IRATE community members to gauge opposition to their plans and gave a promise to inform them before lodging any application. IRATE members and Bundamba MP, Jo Ann Miller made it very clear to them that plans for a new dump would be vehemently opposed.

It has also emerged that Division 3 Councillor Kerry Silver and other members of the Council met with representatives of BMI on at least two occasions prior to the application being submitted. Ipswich City Council have refused to release minutes of those meetings.

IRATE oppose this new dump on several grounds:

  • There is already an existing dump operated by Cleanaway next door which is causing considerable nuisance to the community
  • The proposed site is less than 2km from hundreds of residential homes and several schools
  • The 18 year lifespan of the proposed dump would place a heavy vehicle traffic load on local roads
  • The final landform height of RL108 will create an permanent, unattractive artificial mound able to be seen from several kilometers away. The natural highest ground level is RL75-80. Because of the capping system, native trees can never be grown on the completed mound.
  • Fires from the neighbouring Cleanaway dump have caused health problems for local residents. A new dump greatly increased the risk of further fires
  • Cleanaway have admitted that they cannot fully control the dust problem on their dump. It is considered unlikely that BMI will do any better, considering their provision of a single water truck for the site.
  • The site for the dump is considerably undermined with up to six levels of unstable mine shafts dating back as far as 1900. Subsidence and ground failure from these workings make this an unsuitable site for a landfill.
  • Spontaneous combustion from underground tunnels and coal seams make this an unsuitable site for a landfill.
  • BMI are already accepting millions of tons of NSW waste at their Redbank Plains site. They have admitted that waste from NSW will be received at the proposed new dump.
  • Protected flora and fauna recorded on the site such as Koalas, Echidnas, native Olive trees and rare vines will be severely impacted by the development. 
  • BMI want to drain the lake on the site, potentially flooding an adjacent creek which contains a community of Platypus.

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