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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 10 Hansard (12 October) . . Page.. 2930 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

That was from the manager of ACT Waste.

Mr Stanhope: When did you note that brief?

MR SMYTH: The brief came up on 11 October; it came up yesterday. (Extension of time granted) I think it is important to say that I am not passing the buck on this issue. The buck does stop with me. All of us on this side of the house take ministerial responsibility seriously. I have not deliberately misled anybody, but I accept responsibility for the information provided to me by my department.

Ms Tucker used her favouring expression - best practice. ACT landfills operate under the best practice guidelines issued by the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority. Immediately following the positive test results, an OH&S working group convened with ACT WorkCover to implement health testing of staff and further safety precautions to protect workers and the public. Mr Speaker, following the positive test results on 7 October, Belconnen landfill was closed while the contaminated floc material was covered.

ACT Waste have indicated in the last two days that they will now be conducting a review of procedures at Belconnen and ACT Waste have formally requested from Metalcorp full details on what they have been dumping and the source of this waste. The New South Wales EPA have been requested to investigate the source from which Metalcorp gets this waste material and ACT WorkCover has formally requested New South Wales WorkCover to investigate the activities of Metalcorp in New South Wales. ACT WorkCover and the EMA will conduct reviews to help improve work practices at ACT landfills.

As members will recall, the Environment Protection Bill was passed by this Assembly in August. Among other things, it has a requirement for people wanting to move controlled waste into and out of the ACT - the metal floc material falls into that category - to obtain a licence. That Bill has yet to come into effect, but it will soon. Mr Speaker, the Environment Management Authority has requested an assessment of floc material already disposed of at landfills to determine the amount, location and potential contamination levels.

Ms Tucker casts doubt on what is occurring at the West Belconnen tip. West Belconnen is a state-of-the-art landfill in that it is lined and has a leachate control system. Under the ACT Waste operating licence, the EMA will require that an environmental management system be developed for the facility. One of the aspects of the environmental

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