Mangrove Mountain Landfill Court Hands Down Judgement

Greens are concerned about the future of Mangrove Mountain Landfill after the Court hands down its judgement.

Today, the Greens have responded to the judgment on the Mangrove Mountain Landfill handed down by the NSW Land and Environment Court.

Greens environment spokesperson and environmental law expert Sue Higginson said today: ‘It is disappointing that the Court has confirmed the dumping of more than one million tonnes of general waste within the Central Coast’s drinking water catchment is allowed. This is not a good outcome for the environment or the community. We now know that a large business has the right to bring enormous amounts of general waste from the Sydney metro area and dump it on the Central Coast over an extended period of time.’

‘However, it is clear that the proponent, Verde Terra, will not walk away from the Court with what it wanted. The Court has clearly found limits to the activities of the proponent Verde Terra. In fact, it would appear that there is real doubt that Verde Terra will be able to make the landfill operation meet existing legal and regulatory requirements.’

‘This landfill development has a long and infamous history. There have been major failures, lapses and mistakes made by Council and the regulator while the environment and community have suffered and a private company profits. We will continue to support the Mountain Districts community and Central Coast residents in the ongoing fight to stop this nightmare landfill.’

‘This landfill development is a prime example of how Sydney’s burgeoning waste problem should not be solved. Regional communities and local environments should not be made to pay the price for poor planning, lack of regulatory oversight and the effects of not closing the loop on our waste cycle.’