Albion Explosives Factory Fallout

Cairnlea business park coming soon - is what the sign says on Ballarat Rd. This is a new sign put on a site that is currently zoned Commonwealth Land!

If VicUrban haven't even got planning permission, why are they so sure that a business park is coming soon?

This site is still contaminated land according to the Department of Defence. Apparently it is one that has not been cleaned up and yet the site is not properly fenced off to the public and there are houses within a stones throw. What happens to the kids who experiment with wandering onto the site?

Secondly, who is going to pay for the clean up?

St Aloysius College
I spoke to a group of year 10 students today about the role of a councillor. They were an impressive bunch and visits like these are one of the more fun things I get to do as a councillor.

Federal Budget
On Tuesday evening the Rudd Government unveiled their second Federal Budget.It includes a number of items relevant to Brimbank:
• Regional rail link funding of $3.2 Billion
• Kings Rd interchange to be completed by 2013
• East west rail tunnel, $40M to commence the project
To the relief of a lot of Australian households, the Rudd Government did not issue a surprise announcement withdrawing the Solar PV $8000 rebate (Solar Homes and Communities Plan)

Climate action on pause – without or without CPRS
Australia needs real domestic action on climate change. Unfortunately, the Rudd government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is deeply flawed. The Government has announced that it will delay the Scheme by one year and deliver another $2.2 billion in compensation to Australia’s biggest polluters—in addition to $7.4 billion the polluters are already gifted with Australian taxpayers money. Meanwhile paltry targets lock the country into dangerous levels of emissions.

Lantrak Fined
The EPA have fined Lantrak Pty Ltd $5671 for dumping almost 1,500m3 of acid sulphate soil* at a clean fill site at Carrington Drive, St Albans.

*“Acid sulphate soils produce sulfuric acid which release toxic quantities of iron, aluminium and heavy metals into surface water, groundwater and other soil.”