Greens call on government to come clean on Coode Island

[Cr David Risstrom]

Greens call on government to come clean on Coode Island  -  Monday, 31 May
2004

Greens Melbourne City Councillor and Senate Candidate David Risstrom has
called on the Victorian Government to come clean on the risks to residents
from butadiene gas ships and long term storage on Coode Island.

Councillor Risstrom said there is an urgent need for the public to know what
risks they face and whether the Government is protecting their interests.

³Shipping butadiene and building new facilities at Coode Island would place
residents, some who live only hundreds of meters from Coode Island, at risk
for decades to come², said Cr. Risstrom.

³Butadiene is more dangerous than any other chemical stored at Coode Island.
Butadiene is extremely flammable and highly explosive. It is heavier than
air, so if a leak occurs the vapours can spread across land expanding the
risk of fire or explosion.²

³It seems the only supporters for the proposal are the chemical company that
produces butadiene and the company that wants to store it², said Cr
Risstrom.

³The community is against it, the local councils are against it, environment
groups are against it, even the major chemical storage operator at Coode
Island has refused to bid on the proposal due to the risk², said Cr
Risstrom. 

³Where do the State and Federal Governments stand on this?²

³What plans are there to remove the risks relating to storing butadiene only
a few hundred yards from residents? Has the State Government spoken to the
Australian Federal Police about security? Has the Federal Government been
consulted?² 

³These are all questions the community has a right to know. Their safety
depends on it.²

³At a time when Australian governments and people are so concerned about the
threat from terrorist attacks, it is extraordinary that the Government has
no public position on the risk this proposal presents to its community.²

³The community should have a say in any proposal that puts them at risk. The
Government must also reveal the process undertaken in choosing Coode Island.
What alternatives, if any, did they seek?²

³I am writing to the Minister responsible, Peter Batchelor, to get answers.²

³We thought they may have learned from their experience over trying to
establish a toxic dump. It stinks of the same failed procedure², Cr Risstrom
said. 

For more information, please contact:
Simon Lansdown, Media Officer, Telephone: 0415 535 564



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