Member for Scenic Rim Jon Krause is again calling on the Labor Government to stop dumping on the people of Ipswich and call in the dump applications before Council.
“Ipswich has spoken loud and clear about dumps – they have had enough,” Mr Krause said.
“What this Labor Government needs to do is own the problem the Labor Party created in Ipswich and fix it. The only sure way to do that is to call in these applications and have the State decide them. The extension of a temporary local planning instrument – while better than not doing anything at all – does not protect residents in the areas impacted by dump applications from those applications being approved – either by Council or the Planning Court.”
There are three dump applications in process around Willowbank, in the Scenic Rim Electorate – two before Council, one in court, and apparently a fourth on the horizon.
“Ipswich ratepayers should not have to foot the bill for lengthy, expensive legal challenges, and nor should residents around Willowbank have to face the prospect of another three tips being started in their backyard – and possibly a fourth. That would be an outrageous betrayal of these people who put up with mining for 30 years and now face dumps for the next 50 years.”
“And if the waste tax is working so well, why are these dumps even needed? Or was the waste tax just a tax grab after all?”
The LNP Leader, Deb Frecklington, has already committed a future LNP Government to calling in these applications – taking them out of court, and out of Council’s hands.
“The last thing I want to see is one dump approved by the Court, and then a couple of years later another, and then another – that’d be a cruel way for our community to be treated. I’ll be urging all of the new Councillors, when declared, to get on board with a request from Council for the State to step up and deal with this problem by calling in the applications,” Mr Krause said
“Labor needs to own this problem, call in the dumps and do the right thing by Ipswich – stop taking Ipswich for granted.”