NSW Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, has encouraged residents in her electorate to make submissions in relation to a currently advertised application for increased waste dumping on Mangrove Mountain.
She said the Land and Environment Court had allowed the landfill operator to call upon the NSW EPA to advertise its application for an amended Environmental Protection Licence (EPL), which would see more waste dumped within the Central Coast region’s water catchment.
An application for a new regional landfill within a water catchment would not be allowed under current NSW planning laws. “The application submitted by Verde Terra Pty Ltd, an affiliate of the waste company Bingo, featured in the ABC 4 Corners expose last year, has been rejected by the EPA and is now in the hands of the Land and Environment Court,” Tesch said. “It is important that our community voices are heard in the consideration of this application,” she said.
“We have to show that this community won’t put up with more dumping on Mangrove Mountain. “It is vital that everyone has their say, as community power may be the decider in getting this license application rejected. “The Coast is not just a tip for the rest of the state.”
Should this application be approved, the waste company’s licence will be extended for a further 10 years. The application also reveals new activities that Verde Terra Pty Ltd wants to undertake at the site, including waste processing (non-thermal treatment), land based extractive industry, and waste storage. Tesch said the activities would have a huge impact on the Central Coast community for years to come.
“The impacts of its approval would last forever, not just the 10 years of the extended licence. “We need to stand united against more dumping on our precious lands.” All submissions will be provided to the Court and the company for consideration. Submissions can be made to MMLSubmissions@epa.nsw. gov.au and must be lodged before December 20.
Source: Media release, Nov 6 Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford