Carr Government passes Auburn rubbish dump law

by Peter Mac

Despite widespread public opposition the NSW Government has 
passed special legislation to overrule a Court decision and 
enforce construction of a huge new garbage facility at Clyde, in 
Sydney's Auburn local government area.

The new law overturns a "thumbs-down" ruling from the NSW Land 
and Environment Court, which found that the new facility would 
have major adverse impacts on local residents.

As reported in last week's Guardian, the openly-ventilated 
facility would eventually accept garbage from the entire Sydney 
region, creating enormous health and traffic problems in the 
Auburn area.

The contracting firm Collex, which proposes to build the 
facility, has become a major contributor to Labor Party coffers. 
Its French parent company Vivendi has been convicted of bribery 
and corruption in three countries and is currently facing 
allegations of similar practices in another three.

In his pursuit of the "Auburn solution", NSW Premier Carr has 
exhibited astonishing determination, and an arrogant contempt for 
residents of a predominantly working-class area.

When the Court ruling was handed down, in a speech reminiscent of 
a "dyed in the wool" Liberal Party politician, he denounced 
opponents of the project as blocking the efficient disposal of 
Sydney's waste, and depriving local people of employment in the 
new facility.

He also claimed the decision would adversely affect those 
formerly employed at the old Woodlawn open cut mine, just outside 
Goulburn, which the government proposes be used as a landfill 
site for Sydney's waste.

Under a deal worked out with Collex to use the mine, the 
retrenched miners' unpaid entitlements would be met by Collex 
once landfill operations commenced.

It is obvious this can not happen until the collection and 
transport problems are sorted out.

It now appears that the contract with the Government obliges 
Collex to "seek access to the existing (waste) transfer stations" 
in order to process the waste there before loading it in sealed 
containers for transport by rail to Woodlawn.

Privatisation

The real problem is not the totally understandable and 
justifiable reaction of local residents, but rather the 
government's commitment to privatisation of public services, and 
the secret terms of its contract with Collex.

There are two major problems here. Firstly, this is not a binding 
requirement under the contract, and Collex can seek other means 
of processing the waste. Secondly, although still government-
owned, the existing waste stations would require extensive 
upgrading.

It would also require the agreement of their existing managers, 
Waste Services NSW, who as a partially-privatised company are now 
interested in gaining the maximum return for use of their 
facilities by competitors such as Collex.

The end result is that Collex simply decided that all this was 
too expensive, and opted for alternative means of processing the 
waste — hence the Auburn project.

Carr's despicable attempt to blame the local residents for the 
terrible problems of the Woodlawn miners is highly reminiscent of 
Liberal Party "divide and rule" tactics.

The NSW Government has continued to alienate ever-increasing 
sections of the public by selling off or leasing government-owned 
land (including historic sites) and supporting development at all 
costs, and then vilifying those who object.

For example, in recent years they have either tried, or are still 
attempting, to lease off the historic North Head Quarantine 
Station to a private hotel chain, sell off a huge chunk of the 
old Callan Park site, and sell off large parts of redundant 
industrial harbour sites.

And now in the Collex case they have even shown their willingness 
to over-ride the court system and introduce special legislation 
to enforce a multinational development proposal.

However, as the recent struggle over the Callan Park site showed, 
the government can be beaten. After massive protests the 
government withdrew plans to sell of ten percent of that site.

Battles are continuing over other sites. The Green Party has in 
the past called for the banning of donations from developers to 
political parties. An ever-increasing segment of the community, 
including local action groups such as the Auburn Community 
Alliance and the No Dump Residents Association, will be echoing 
this demand.