20/08/2002

12. Humpty Doo Dump

Mr Maley to MINISTER for Health and Community Services


QUESTION

Minister, you have recently been made aware of the Health problems which local residents are enduring as a result of the Humpty Doo Dump. Would you kindly advise the following : -

1. What arrangements, if any, have you made to address those serious health complaints.
2. What arrangements, if any, have you undertaken to relocate the Humpty Doo Dump to a more suitable and safe region of the Litchfield Shire.

ANSWER

Answered on 02/10/2002

1. Environmental Health Officers visited the Humpty Doo dump on 13 August 2002, there was no threat to public health at the time of the inspection. Environmental Health Officers will continue ongoing surveillance of the Humpty Doo dump to ensure a public health nuisance is not constituted.

There have been no complaints made to this office in the past eighteen months regarding the dump.

The Environmental Health Unit maintains an electronic database for complaints to ensure all complaints are recorded and followed-up.

The responsibility of siting and relocating the dump lies between the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment (DIPE) and the Litchfield Shire Council. The Department of Health and Community Services is not responsible for relocating the dump.

DIPE has advised that there is a plan in place to fence-off cells to prevent access to the public and that a permanent caretaker is to be placed on site. This should ensure that there is no illegal burning off at the dump.

DIPE enforces the Waste Management & Pollution Control Act.

In the event that a new dump site is found, approval by the Chief Health Officer of the Department of Health and Community Services is required.