NSW: Carr parades miners in fight for dump

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2003
NSW: Carr parades miners in fight for dump

SYDNEY, Dec 2 AAP - NSW Premier Bob Carr today paraded almost a dozen former mine
workers before the media to show why the government was paving the way for a new waste
facility in Sydney's west.

The former miners, who used to work at the Woodlawn mine near Goulburn, will receive
about $6 million in entitlements - but only if waste disposal company Collex is allowed
to turn their old mine into a mega dump.

The dump was blocked after the Land and Environment Court last month rejected Collex's
proposal for a waste transfer depot at Clyde in Sydney's west.

The Clyde plant was needed to process about 400,000 tonnes of waste from Sydney each year.

The waste would be compacted and processed at Clyde before being transferred by rail
to the old Woodlawn mine, which the government wants to make into a mega-dump.

Mr Carr said the government was pushing through a special law to override the court's
decision and allow the Clyde waste station, so that 158 workers can get their entitlements.

"Without the proposal going ahead, they get nothing," he told reporters.

Mr Carr said Clyde was a logical place for the waste transfer facility because of the
industrial activity already there.

"It means an extra 200 truck movements a day on a road that cops 60,000 a day; it would
not be noticeable," he said.

One of the miners who lost his job, Randall Oehme, told reporters that frustrated miners
had to stand by while workers from other failed companies eventually got their entitlements.

"The Ansett workers didn't have to go through this," he told reporters.

Mr Oehme said he understood why local residents opposed the Clyde facility.

"I can empathise with their situation, but the fact is Goulburn is going to host their
rubbish for the next 40 years."

Earlier today, about 200 people protested outside Parliament House against the government's
special law to override their court victory.

AAP jph/smb/tma/br

KEYWORD: DUMP CARR

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