There’s nothing like a sunny day to lift your spirits, especially when you’re zipping along the highway with the tunes turned up.
Which is exactly what I was enjoying the other day, until I came within cooee of our infamous tip mountain.
In case you’ve missed it, Wyndham council has been building a mountain out of the collected waste of six other municipalities.
The council has persisted with this disgusting landmark despite residents’ concerns about environmental damage, stigma, smell and its aesthetics.
The council said waste had to go up because space was running short at the tip, despite its own reports stating 15 years of ground-level space remained.
It failed to consult with residents before giving itself a permit to build the mountain.
It threatened the owner of a property next to the tip with fines of up to $169,000 for displaying a protest banner, later withdrawing it after public outcry.
Residents and the Western Region Environment Centre were unable to be represented at a tribunal hearing about the issue.
And it is doing all this with your rates.
Tell your council you’re concerned about its actions by lodging a complaint with the Environment Protection Authority at works.approvals@epa.vic.gov.au. Your nose will thank you.
Emma Sutcliffe is a local freelance writer who blogs at littleriveremma.com
