A GROUP of Wolumla residents vocal throughout the process of developing the Central Waste Facility near the village are disappointed with last week’s decision to now sell part of the land to NBN Co.
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Members of the Wolumla Residents Action Group (WRAG) have since drawn under the umbrella of the Bega Valley Shire Ratepayers Association and their message is arguably all the more stronger because of the move.
Ratepayers Association member Jeff Smith said the council’s decision to enter a contract of sale for a parcel of land adjacent to the CWF, for a price of $150,000, was “disappointing” and could cost ratepayers more in the long term.
His concerns over potential CWF leachate contamination of the NBN Co facility were also raised by several councillors during last week’s debate.
“The council’s track record of managing waste facilities has not been good to date,” Mr Smith said.
“In the long term, if the council sticks to its guns, and in my opinion I think [Mayor] Bill Taylor is determined to make sure it does, [it could work].
“But if it’s not managed properly it will cost ratepayers a bomb.”
The parcel of land to be sold to NBN Co is, in part, where potential irrigation and disposal of leachate was to occur.
Provisions for mitigating any risk of leachate contamination between the two facilities was written into the council motion approved last week, but Mr Smith said this then leaves the council with more costly treatment options.
“The economics is a major concern,” he said.
“I really think in a lot of ways they have cut off a lot of options for leachate disposal [by selling the land].
“But they’ve made their beds, now they have to lie in them.”
The other bone of contention among nearby residents is the further industrial use of a site they argue was only ever agreed to be used for the CWF and grazing.
While council staff denied there was ever a documented agreement for a sole use for the Wanatta Lane site (BDN, 2/11), Mr Smith and his colleagues have repeatedly brought to attention sections of the CWF’s environmental impact statement that he said “lean the argument our way”.
During last week’s meeting, Cr Taylor said councillors had to “respect that view does exist and reassure them that through the development application process they will be given the opportunity to comment and raise concerns”.
