Mr J. BULL (Sunbury) — My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water, and the action I seek is that she provide an update for my community on the current situation with the BTQ Bulla landfill in my electorate and the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA). During the election campaign last year, and throughout this year, I received numerous emails and calls and had meetings with local residents who have raised serious concerns about this site. Residents have called on the EPA to do more to monitor the site. They have concerns regarding waste disposal, fire threat and contamination of neighbouring properties.

As the minister will recall, the EPA recently released a statement advising that it:

… has ordered an independent review into all its landfill asbestos licences following an investigation into community concerns over the BTQ Bulla landfill site.

EPA CEO Nial Finegan ordered the independent review after a recent inspection of the Bulla tip and quarry (BTQ) identified irregularities in the EPA’s licence approval processes for the site. Mr Finegan said:

Our investigations have revealed that the most recent licence amendment to allow BTQ to have a separate asbestos disposal area, issued in 2013, did not follow EPA’s usual stringent approval processes that aim to ensure best practice environmental management …

He added:

This administration error is unacceptable and that is why I am taking these steps to address the matter.

…

EPA will be issuing an amended licence requiring BTQ to immediately cover any asbestos deposited at the site with soil and/or other appropriate waste.

EPA will also be issuing BTQ a second amended licence restricting the deposit of asbestos to other areas on the site after another inspection identified concerns for worker safety.

This is of great concern to me and the residents of Bulla. The action I seek, on behalf of the Bulla and Sunbury community, is that the minister provide an update on this very important matter.