Press Release | Resolution of Canada Bay | Background 

PRESS RELEASE
Support grows for Greens call for Moratorium on Redevelopment of Rhodes Peninsula

Last night Canada Bay Council supported a resolution (see below) sponsored by Greens Councillor, Pauline Tyrrell, asking The Premier stop the redevelopment of Rhodes Peninsula. The Inner West Greens and the Rhodes Peninsula Group have called for a moratorium on the Rhodes redevelopment until community concerns have been addressed. They recently visited the local state and federal members to seek their support.

'Before the state government goes ahead with this development, we want to be sure that safety measures are in place to protect the health of nearby residents and workers on the site', said Cr Tyrrell. 'We want to know how this highly contaminated site will be cleaned up. And we want the local community to be involved and informed at every stage of this development.' The development will particularly effect residents of Rhodes, Liberty Grove, Meadowbank and Concord West.

The Inner West Greens are also calling for a Parliamentary Enquiry to look into the nature and cause of contamination on the Rhodes peninsula and in the sediments under Homebush Bay and the degree of toxicity of the three sites at Rhodes up for redevelopment, as well as land in the surrounding area.


Urgent Motion  re: the redevelopment of Rhodes Peninsula. Cr Pauline TYRRELL

1)  THAT The City of Canada Bay Council calls on The Premier and The Minister of Urban Affairs and Planning to impose a complete moratorium on all letting of contracts and all work on the former Allied Feeds and Union Carbide sites on the Rhodes Peninsula and on any Homebush Bay sediments until:

i.  a community reference group is established (as promised at a meeting of Rhodes Residents Group on 7th March) made up of all relevant departments and tendering companies and local communities to monitor all activities in the development of the Rhodes Peninsula. This Council and community must be included in the decision-making and reporting processes of what is to be one of the largest urban developments in NSW.
The Council and community must be included in decisions as to the most appropriate remediation technologies for dioxin, pesticide and other toxic residues that have been left and dumped for many years on the Rhodes Peninsula, one of the most highly contaminated toxic sites in Australia (and according to Greenpeace the 5th most toxic site in the world.)

ii.  Air and water monitoring: Infrastructure must be in place for the monitoring of transportation and remediation of soil, Homebush Bay water sediments and any airborne toxic dust likely to be produced during the remediation of the site.  24 hour air monitoring by the EPA should be carried out in at least three areas off-site: Meadowbank, Concord West and Rhodes.

iii. a written commitment to the City of Canada Bay Council from the Department of Transport for adequate traffic infrastructure to cope with the proposed new developments on the Rhodes Peninsula.

2) THAT the General Manager write to The Premier, The Minister of Urban Affairs and Planning, The Minister for Roads and Transport, The Minister for the Environment, The Minister for Health and any other relevant ministers to convey this resolution of Council and report back to Council on any
response.


BACKGROUND
At a meeting of Rhodes Residents Group on 7 March, 2001, arrangements were discussed for a Project Reference Group for the Rhodes redevelopment. 

At its Meeting on 20th March, this Council resolved 'that should any Committees be formed concerning remediation of the Rhodes Peninsula, then Council be represented by Councillor Tyrrell, a staff member and Mr Hanly from the Rhodes Peninsula Group.'