Thursday, 10 March 2022

Eastern Victoria Region

Ms BURNETT-WAKE (Eastern Victoria) (12:41): (1685) My constituency question is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. I recently visited some constituents in Bald Hill and Five Mile roads in Pakenham. A landholder on Five Mile Road informed me that trucks go up and back at all hours of the day; one passes every couple of minutes. They are always the same type of truck. Whilst there I observed truck after truck driving down the road with tarps over the trailers. The gravel along Five Mile Road has had dust suppressant applied where these trucks pass so no dust is made. These constituents believe the trucks are carting toxic soil from the West Gate Tunnel Project and have expressed real concern over toxic soil being quietly dumped in their locality. They have attempted to find out, but have not received any information. My question to the minister is: is soil from the West Gate Tunnel Project being dumped in or around Pakenham, and, if so, what testing does this soil undergo to ensure it is safe to be dumped so close to people’s homes?