Debates Day 2 - Wednesday 23 November 1994
Parliamentary Record 6
Debates for 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997
1994-11-23
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
English
Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
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https://hdl.handle.net/10070/281606
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/414128
DEBATES - Wednesday 23 November 1994 Thank you for your suggestion to hold a hazardous chemical collection day. We will discuss the matter with the Work Health Authority who are responsible for the disposal o f these materials to determine the practicalities o f this suggestion. You will be advised o f the outcome in due course. I heard nothing further for some time and, on 7 November, I wrote to the Lord Mayor: I refer to my letter dated 16 August 1994 suggesting a Chemical Collection Day for Darwin, and trialing it in Wanguri and Tiwi. Thank you for your letter dated 30 August, from Mr Dave Thiele (Operations Engineer), advising that there were discussions between council and the Work Health A uthority on this topic. 1 would appreciate your advice on how matters are progressing. On 16 November, I received another letter, this time from Dave Wormald, Chief Executive Officer/Town Clerk o f Darwin City Council: Thank you for your continued interest in a possible Chemical Collection Day for Darwin. As indicated in our previous letter, Darwin City Council made an informal approach at officer level to the Work Health Authority to investigate the possibility o f arranging such an event. Although they agreed in principle that a collection could be facilitated, an outstanding dispute between the 2 authorities regarding ultimate disposal o f hazardous waste has prevented any real progress being made on the issue. Darwin City Council maintains that the Work Health Authority is the responsible authority for ultimate disposal of hazardous waste and that we provide a collection point only of domestic quantities at Shoal Bay Waste Disposal Site fo r final disposal by the Work Health Authority. The Work Health Authority are arguing that their role is to provide advice only on disposal and are attempting to recover the cost o f disposal from council for a function that they have previously performed. A stalemate has developed. While we are happy to participate in a Chemical Collection Day, we are not prepared to pay for ultimate disposal o f the waste. I f you wish to pursue the Chemical Collection Day, we suggest that you contact the Work Health Authority fo r advice as they are the responsible authority for disposal o f hazardous waste and suggest that we will be willing to participate in an appropriate way with the event. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact the Technical Services Manager, Bob Morgan, on 82 2581. 1818