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.'
Since then, consultation with the community has ground to a halt.