Casey Community News advertorial - Stevensons Road Closed Landfill
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Two flares on site burn the landfill gases including
A drilling rig prepares for the installation of an additional
At an estate street meeting, City of Casey Team |
What has happened
The City of Casey has welcomed the CFA’s announcement to downgrade the Stevensons Road closed landfill emergency situation to a land management scenario.
Since 9 September 2008 the lives of several thousand Casey residents have been turned upside down following the CFA, on advice from the EPA, declaring an emergency situation at the Brookland Greens estate.
The decision by the CFA to de-escalate the situation and, more importantly, the new procedures established by the CFA for managing incidents in the future, provide a solid platform that will allow the community to develop a plan to restore confidence in the estate, knowing that an escalation is unlikely to occur again in the future, unless it is warranted.
The new procedures for dealing with incidents of readings of methane gas in homes removes the recommended evacuation of houses within a 250 metre radius when a methane reading is found in a home. Instead, each situation is now dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
In addition to continuing its onsite works and monitoring program, Council is also working with the Department of Human Services to implement a Community Support Plan. This plan, endorsed by the Brookland Greens Community Reference Group, provides direction for supporting and re-building the affected community on a range of levels, including addressing their health and wellbeing over the longer term.
The Community Reference Group, established by Council, has 31 members who live in the Brookland Greens estate. It is exploring the needs of the broader estate so that tangible solutions can be implemented. The group has identified a number of good ideas and Council is already supporting the establishment of a community website, the installation of a brush panel fence in areas of the closed landfill boundary where it can be seen by the public from within the estate, and the running of a community event later in the year.
Whilst Council is supporting the group with staff support and other resources, we will be asking the State Government to also assist us financially to bring many of the group’s ideas to fruition.
Council is committed to working in partnership with local residents, agencies and the broader Cranbourne community to take positive steps forward to restore community pride and confidence in the area – which is a wonderful place to live.
Cranbourne - a vibrant city with an exciting future
Our focus is much broader than just the area affected by the methane gas situation. Cranbourne is a vibrant and diverse community, with many exciting projects already underway. Council will continue to highlight and enhance its business, tourism and leisure attractions, through a number of exciting projects and facilities.
Ongoing works
The extensive mitigation works being undertaken by the City of Casey over the past 18 months are having a positive impact on reducing the risk of methane for residents in the neighbouring estate of the Stevensons Road closed landfill.
The latest monitoring data from service pits and ground bores in the estate are showing that levels of methane are reducing over time. Data from the in-home monitoring program is also showing that methane is not building up in homes. In fact, 95 percent of homes with the in-home gas detection monitors have not had a single reading of methane, at any level, whilst being monitored 24 hours a day. This is good news and indicates that the extensive mitigation measures Council is undertaking, are having a positive effect.
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