Page 2667 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 15 August 2017
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I was assured during estimates that these measures have contributed to reducing the odours that may have been coming from the tip, but we still have not had a sort of definitive response as to whether it is the tip that is the source of the odours—the only source of odours in that particular valley area. There are no particular recommendations, of course, in regard to addressing the odours.
The issue is one for my constituents. It is not okay to leave ratepayers, taxpayers, residents, constituents—however you want to think of them—subject to these terrible odours. Many of my constituents expressed concerns about the value of their property, being able to enjoy the amenity of their property, especially during the summertime. It appears that during wintertime the odours are not as apparent and there are not as many complaints.
There are still intermittent complaints and it is not okay just to leave it, just to say, as we have heard from some members opposite in the past, “They live near a tip. You have to expect the smell.” These particular suburbs are not actually near a tip. They are quite some distance away. When I drive past the tip I expect a smell if I am somewhere in the area. But in suburbs far enough away, meeting all the relevant standards, you would not expect to have an odour that means you cannot have your windows open, that you cannot put your washing on the line, that you cannot have a barbecue and have people over because you are embarrassed about the smell in your area.
It is not okay, and members in my electorate are very unhappy. They are worried it is going to happen again this coming summer. It is not good enough. I appreciate, and my constituents appreciate, the work that has taken place so far. But we have not had any definitive response that, yes, it was the tip that was causing the smell and that, yes, every possible thing has been done to address the smell.
It is symptomatic of a feeling amongst my constituents of a bit of neglect, a bit of disdain and disrespect for people in that area, that they are just expected to live with it. In some instances we are talking about people who have spent a lot of money on their homes, people who pay a lot of money in their rates. Of course, they have gone up in the most recent budget.
For example, Fadden has had one of the highest increases in unit rates in the ACT in the last budget. People ask, “What am I getting for this increase in my rates, let alone my rates generally, that I have to put up with these terrible odours on an intermittent basis?” I do appreciate—I will stress this—the work that has taken place to date. I understand, as has been explained to me, that odours move in mysterious ways. But it is not okay to leave residents of some Tuggeranong suburbs with this experience of a terrible odour impacting their everyday life, impacting their mental health and adding to some concerns about their physical health because they are unsure of what may also be involved with that smell.
I implore government to continue to try to address those issues. Access Canberra is the area that we usually deal with. Historically there have been some issues about the reporting of those complaints. I feel reasonably confident that that has now been
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