“The community council in partnership with the Fyshwick Traders are pointing out the obvious, that there is the potential for an increase in damaging air quality and noise,” writes “Canberra Matters” columnist PAUL COSTIGAN. 

THE Inner South Canberra Community Council has published a “Call To Arms” to highlight what is going on in Fyshwick with developments for major waste-disposal activities.

These issues affect residents of across all of Canberra – not just the residents of the inner south.

The community council in partnership with the Fyshwick Traders are pointing out the obvious, that there is the potential for an increase in damaging air quality and noise that will have to be suffered by those visiting, those working in Fyshwick and those who live in areas nearby.

The document outlines the major waste activities already happening in Fyshwick along with several new ones proposed that are creeping their way through the planning processes. 

While each of the activities is being objected to individually, it is the cumulative effect of air and noise pollution, as well as the increase in heavy vehicle traffic that the ACT government is refusing to acknowledge will be the huge problem for area

Yet again with planning matters, the ACT Planning Directorate does not recognise the impact of the aggregation of all these issues on the whole of the suburb.

While Fyshwick falls in the area of interest of the Inner South Canberra Community Council, this issue has impacts on many more – those that visit and work in Fyshwick from across Canberra as well as from the nearby regional areas of NSW.

These issues are not new. The community council has been trying to involve politicians in this battle for several years – with not much success.

The ACT Greens assisted with killing off the proposals for the waste furnaces, but have now gone back to their default position of sitting on the fence watching the community council do the hard work. 

As for those in government and in opposition, residents have learnt not to rely on them picking up on important planning issues and taking action before too much falls into place and it becomes enormously difficult to undo. That is the way planning happens here in Canberra!

Remind me again why we pay these politicians to be local representatives?

This issue of waste management being in the light commercial/shopping precinct of Fyshwick is an issue that those wishing to be elected at the October ACT elections need to come clean on where they stand.

Have a look at the community council’s document and get active. The important thing is to make a representation to draft EIS201900001 via EPD Customer Services page using the link from the community council page – or – directly – here.

Otherwise it is most likely that your next visit to Fyshwick may not be a pleasant one.

Thanks again to the Inner South Canberra Community Council for their time and efforts to inform the Canberra community about these planning issues that could impact on all our lives.