bumper sticker

UPDATE, 26 November 2006 Crazy highway thru Wilson Park proposal.     And Bobby is back.
UPDATE, 17 July 2006. Posted by solicitor Adele Carles who relocated her family last month from their South Beach home due to contamination fears.
Stockland has now commenced it’s controversial ‘clean up’ at the ANI site at South Beach.   Most families with young children living close to the site are voluntarily evacuating their homes for the duration of this lengthy remediation. More than 25 children and their families have now left the area.   The State Government has turned a blind eye to this dire situation – Fremantle member Jim McGinty refuses to speak to residents about it. No compensation has been offered by Stockland or the State Government to relocate concerned families.
More below childrens picture

Photo of Dr Ian Alexander Town Planner, Pierre Brescianini and Adele Carles Solicitor, taken in front of the ANI site at South Beach on 22.3.06. These pipes were not exposed in 2003. They are clear evidence of dramatic erosion taking place at South Beach. The CSIRO has recently reported on climate change, rising sea levels and the impact of erosion along the WA coastline. The State Government must urgently review its decision to allow housing on this eroding strip at South Beach. Who will pay for the damage when the houses are threatened by the coast? A clear case of 'wilful blindness' on the part of the Government and the developer Stockland. Greed at the expense of common sense.

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Click on circle for a pdf file from Thiess showing how routine it is to cover sites.

Public health	Press articles and Letters to Editors	Your taxes at work	Maps and plans	Heritage issues
How can I help	Fremantle Smelter 1898-1920	Toxic site issues	Eroding beachfront	Contact us

Children preparing letters and pictures for the Premier

Federal MP Dr Carmen Lawrence speaking at our rally

Major Problems with Stockland's remediation proposal

This is the site of a historic lead smelting industry that operated for 22 years, leaving a legacy of toxic contamination at South Beach. The State Government was not aware of this contamination when it agreed to rezone this site from ‘industrial’ to ‘urban’ 5 years ago.
Stockland plans to excavate 75,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil, down to depths of 6 metres over the next 8 months.
Exceedences of lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, manganese, nickel and zinc have been found across whole site. Ingestion of these contaminants would pose a serious health threat and could ultimately cause diseases like cancer.
This is a windy coastline and our scientists say that these contaminants will blow over the beach, the children’s playground and local residents under this plan.
The site could have been covered to prevent the release of toxic dust and to provide peace of mind to local residents. Stockland refused to cover the site saying it would take too long, despite the fact that covers are routinely used overseas and interstate. The State Government should have insisted that Stockland use one at South Beach.
There has been no Environmental Impact Assessment on how this proposed excavation will impact on the dune system and the coastal environment.
There is no independent scrutiny of this operation – every one involved is on Stockland’s payroll.

THE 100 METRE PETITION: On 30 April 2006 the community gathered to petition the new Premier to impose the 100 metre setback at South Beach. We obtained more than 3000 signatures for our petition over a 2 week period – most people were horrified to learn how close to the ocean Stockland’s housing will be.

The Premier Alan Carpenter now refuses to meet us to receive the petition – instead he has chosen to throw his full support behind Stockland. Where is the integrity of the state Labor Government? It introduced the 100 metre setback policy 3 years ago – why won’t it apply it at South Beach?

We all now know the TV ad for Australia with catchline "..so where the bloody hell are YOU ?".

We are saying to the Govt., "..so where the bloody hell is the 100 METRES ?"
Incidentally, can anyone tell us where the 100 m setback has been applied in recent years, anywhere in WA ?

Stockland in NSW is in conflict with the Save Sandon Point group. Sandon Point is located between Thirroul and Bulli about 15 - 20 kms north of Wollongong. Check out their "The Sandon Point" newsletter and understand better how Stockland operates.

Email us re DVD of "Power and Greed v Common Sense" documentary. mail@savesouthbeach.com

October Update; More press articles. Click on link in above Table.
4 July Update: Fremantle Herald "Thinking Allowed" column "Cleaning up at South Beach" by Adele Carles.

14 June Update: May 2005 report by our scientists lodged on behalf of the local community with the State Government - the State Government has agreed to consider this report as part of its reassessment of the ANI decision in accordance with the Supreme Court action initiated by South Beach residents.

4 April Update: Save South Beach campaign wins case in WA Supreme Court:
Our case was handed down today in the Supreme Court. The legal issue that we are raising is whether communities living near contaminated sites have a right to information and to be heard on that information. We won on every count and so the decision was a major victory for South Beach residents and has wide implications for communities living near contaminated sites in WA. Basically the Judge made the following rulings:
(1) South Beach residents made out an arguable case against the State Government, being the WAPC, the Department of Health and the Department of Environment and so the decision is to be referred to the Full Court. The Judge said "on the evidence as it stands at present it seems to me that the applicant has reasonable prospects of success".
(2) A stay was granted, which operates to prevent Stockland from doing anything further until the conclusion of the litigation (this means that even though Stockland has all of the State Govt approvals in place to enable it to excavate the site, this litigation now prevents it from doing so)
(3) Stockland wanted us to provide an undertaking for damages in the vicinity of $769,246 for a 12 month delay - the judge dismissed this on the grounds that we have "raised a matter of considerable public importance."
(4) Stockland sought an order for security of costs against us in the amount of $48,000 - the judge dismissed this saying that "I am of the view that Stockland's application is oppressive in the sense that if successful, it would deny the applicant the right to litigate."

All in all a huge day for community rights at South Beach.
April 2005 Media
Transcript from 8 April ABC TV "Stateline" and text plus photo
11 April "The Australian"

At a meeting on 21 Feb 2005 Fremantle Council authorises the commissioning of an independent report on the remediation plan (ENV3) for the ANI site in the City of Cockburn, and an impact assessment on the adjoining sand dunes in front of the site.

Breaking News:

Photo of residents protesting on 20 February about the City of Cockburn approving an 8 storey apartment tower in the controversial South Beach Village development site without any community consultation. This site will also be affected by the lead smelter and the issue of possible lead contamination has not been addressed by Cockburn.

January 2005: SOUTH BEACH RESIDENTS SUE STATE GOVERNMENT over its failure to consult them before it approved the ANI remediation plan at South Beach. (see latest on notice board top right)

We are asking the Supreme Court to rule on the question of whether residents living near contaminated sites have a right to information and a right to be heard on the information. If we succeed in Court:

* the State Government approvals for the ANI site will be set aside
* our scientists will have the opportunity to independently review the plan for us
* the State Government will be required to consider the views of the community and our scientists as part of its assessment process
* this will set an important precedent for all communities in Western Australia living near contaminated sites, by establishing a legal right to information and to be heard on that information

Comments on developers letterbox flyer dated January 2005.

June 2004 letters from DoE and DoH to DPI listing serious failings in Stockland's first two EMP's.

December 2004:

15 December 2004 - local residents gathered at the site after hearing that the Government had approved the remediation plan before releasing it to the public.

14 December 2004 - WAPC clear all environmental conditions for the ANI site. Stockland is now free to excavate the site. Stockland has not released this remediation plan for public comment, but we do know that the planned 5 metre excavation of this old lead smelter site is to take place without a cover and without any EPA involvement. This is a high risk proposal, given the windy nature of this coastal site with local residences and public amenities close by.

'Save South Beach members march in the Fremantle Festival on 28 November 2004

Download our November 2004 Flyer plus 2 other pdf reports

Comments on developers letterbox flyer dated January 2005. Analyses of bore hole intervals and bore location map.

SPOKESPERSON ADELE CARLES SAYS,"PUBLIC SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. We do not believe that the developer can safely remediate this site for housing. We have not found one example anywhere in the world of a site as contaminated as this, on a windy coastline, being remediated for housing. This is a high risk experiment that the developer and the Government are embarking upon and the residents of Fremantle are set to be the guinea pigs. So what is our solution?

Ideally, all of the contamination should be removed in a safe manner - this includes all of the contamination to the south of the site and in the dunes. This would cost tens of millions of dollars. Unfortunately no-one is offering to fund this option and whether such contamination could be removed safely on such a windy site is debatable.

We say that the only safe solution is for the Government to claim this site back now under the 100m setback provisions of the State Coastal Policy. It appears that the safest and most cost effective option is for the site to be encapsulated and capped with soil or concrete. This means leaving the contamination where it is, as the risks associated with disturbing it are too great. The site could be used as a carpark and recreational area."

For photos of October 2003 rally . Click to see more photos. Speakers calling for the ANI site to be public land included, Dr Carmen Lawrence, Jim Scott, lawyer Adele Carles, community member Chrissy Lauritz, Lee Bell (Contaminated Sites Alliance), John Hammond (Keep Cott Low), and John Keall (Save our Sunsets, Scarborough).

Transcript of ABC TV Stateline program 17 Oct 2003

Main Issues, any one of which we say makes the ANI locality unsuitable for housing

[1] Contamination see map and drill results from the developers Feb 2004 report showing that almost all drill holes encountered soils with metals exceeding health guidelines, lead up to 16,000 ppm (1.6%) and commonly several thousand ppm

[2] Coastal Setback, we say, "...apply the law.." in the Governments own "Coastal Policy" and implement the 100 metre setback.

[3] Railway noise which will increase with planned traffic increases, the normal railway housing set back of 65 metres should be applied

[4] Erosion Issue For 2 pdf reports, 1 into criteria of cliff retreat and 2, the study of aerial photos which demonstrates 40m of beach retreat since 1994.
The Government and developers seem oblivious of the high rate of erosion in progress over the last decade as evidenced by their inaccurate statements (see "Exactly what land ?" link above), about the proposed setback at the south end of the ex ANI land. The 2002 photo-map below shows the southern boundary of the ex ANI land is east of the "spiral" shaped shrub patch on the bike path.
The first air photo from 1994 shows sand right out to the old end of the Island Street groyne, marked G, note width of beach & vegetation at south (right) end.

This photo from 2002 photo shows the stunning erosion over 8 years, note groyne extension post 1994.

Click on photos for larger pictures

We contend that the high rate of erosion of about 40 metres in a decade (at the south end of ANI land) makes a mockery of the set backs proposed for the ANI development.

We ask the Government, "...what is so hard to understand about the extreme rate of coastal retreat revealed in their own air photographs ?" Retreat of the cliffs is mainly due to wave action in storm surge enhanced high tides. See Coastal tide data website in links list, go to Fremantle FBH link for graph showing any tide surge which often occur during passage of westerly fronts.

Contact: You can email us at mail@savesouthbeach.com

Links

Groups pushing for better coastal planning outcomes.

sosScarborough is about to commence another battle with the City of Striling
Council and would appreciate any publicity
http://sosScarborough.com

SaveOurBeaches is a collection of Coast Care issues Australia wide and
currently with a WA focus.
http://SaveOurBeaches.Info

Preserve Point Peron for the People!

Leighton Action Coalition Inc. http://freo.com/leighton/

Keep Cott Low has been formed with the objective of keeping buildings, particularly along the Cottesloe foreshore, to a reasonable scale and dimension.
http://www.keepcottlow.com/

All about Scarborough Beach
http://scarboro.info/

Save Ningaloo Campaign
http://www.save-ningaloo.org/

Canal-Free Coogee Campaign
http://members.iinet.net.au/~robret/

Smiths Beach Action Group
http://www.savesmithsbeach.com/
and
http://www.grrinninbear.com.au/sbag/smiths_home.html

Stockland in NSW is in conflict with the Save Sandon Point group, where issues are often similar to our concerns at South Beach. Sandon Point is located between Thirroul and Bulli about 15 - 20 kms north of Wollongong. Read their "The Sandon Point" newsletter look for their "the sandon point" link and understand better how Stockland operates. Check their website for other downloadable newsletters.

Other SSB Links

ABC News "Fremantle housing development delayed"
http://www.abc.net.au/wa/news/200406/s1135636.htm

The Lead Group
http://www.lead.org.au/

OZTOXICS.org
http://www.oztoxics.org/

OZTOXICS.org online library
http://www.oztoxics.org/cmwg/bb_reference%20library.html

Keith Buxton's Broken Hill lead site http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/kbyits/

Property developers are among the largest donors to political parties ? Our members search for some answers.
http://au.geocities.com/barking_dogs2003/

Coastal Independents 26 February 2005 campaign
http://www.coastalindependents.com/

Conservation Council of Western Australia (Inc.)
http://www.conservationwa.asn.au/

WA Dept for the Environment
http://www.environ.wa.gov.au/

Coastal tide data site, graph storm surge height for different localities. When westerly gales blow, check this site for tide times, see the storm surge graphically and go down to the cliffs at high tide to see the erosion happening.
http://www.coastaldata.transport.wa.gov.au/tides/storm_surge_index.html

WA Planning Commission
http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/

Freo Focus web site has local Fremantle news including reports on our rally.
http://freofocus.com

Jim Scott media release on South Beach

May 2003
http://www.mp.wa.gov.au/jscott/media/coveringsouth.26.6.txt

September 2003
http://www.mp.wa.gov.au/jscott/media/ANIcoast25.9.txt

May 2003 news item from Murdoch University on toxic issue re South Beach cliffs
http://emunews.murdoch.edu.au/SOUTHBEACHTOXICDANGERALERT.htm

Richard G. Hartley - Western Australian Gold Smelters in the 1900s and the Northampton connection
http://www.econs.ecel.uwa.edu.au/AMHA/Newslett/news26.htm