Hansard debates

Ms SHEED (Shepparton) — (12 896) My constituency question is for the minister for the environment. Minister, can you advise whether the recently announced audit of recycling facilities following the Coolaroo fire will include the Numurkah tyre dump to ensure better protection of that community? In a 2014 publication, Storage of Waste Tyres: Regulatory Impact Statement, it was noted that waste tyres can create significant environmental and public health risks. Tyres are flammable, and when they are stored together in large volumes they can create a serious fire hazard which, once ignited, can be very difficult to extinguish. The impact of fires at recycling sites on local communities was highlighted by the recent Coolaroo fire, which saw the evacuation of the community. While the Shire of Moira has taken the dump owners to the Supreme Court, tyres remain on the site close to the town, forming a hazard that many constituents have contacted me about. There has already been one fire at the tyre dump, in 2013, and we do not want to see one again.