Tuesday, 16 August 2022

West Gate Tunnel soil

Mr FINN (Western Metropolitan) (11:54): My question without notice is to Minister Pulford in her capacity as the minister representing the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. The minister, I am sure, is aware of my strident opposition to the government dumping toxic soil from the ill-fated West Gate Tunnel Project in the Sunbury and Bulla communities. In recent months I have looked in horror at the number of B-double trucks carrying this carcinogenic waste heading to the Bulla dumping site, particularly at the same time as the government is conducting works to relocate a bottleneck on Sunbury Road. Yesterday I was informed this dumping at the Sunbury Road site has ceased, and I hope that is true. Minister, is that correct or does the government have plans to continue dumping this poisonous material in the Sunbury and Bulla communities?

Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (11:55): I thank Mr Finn for his question, and I will seek a written response from Minister Allan in accordance with the house’s standing orders.

Mr FINN (Western Metropolitan) (11:55): Minister, if the dumping of carcinogenic toxic soil on Sunbury Road has ceased, and I sincerely hope, as I said, it has, where does the government intend to dump this material from here on in?

Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (11:55): I thank Mr Finn for his supplementary question. Both his substantive question and his supplementary question made a number of assertions as fact, and I am sure that Minister Allan will take the opportunity to provide Mr Finn with an answer in accordance with our standing orders and perhaps disabuse him of some of the misinformation that he is attempting to scare his community with.