Council is seeking to work with the Victorian Government to develop a coordinated response to these issues so the affected communities do not have to bear the burden of past waste management practices.
From June 2021 new legislation in Victoria will create a duty on people in management or control of contaminated land to minimise risks of harm to human health and the environment from contaminated land so far as reasonably practicable.
This may require investigation, assessment, remediation, management and disclosure of the contamination by land owners and tenants.
This change in legislation is relevant to the information we’re providing about the closed Sunshine Landfills.
The EPA has advised:
Residents who live on the former Sunshine landfill site will not receive fines or be criminally punished in any way for this historical contamination under the new legislation.
This new legislation means that councils and other organisations are required to report contaminated land to EPA, to ensure appropriate measures are taken to keep the community safe.
These EPA fact sheets provide more information about the changes to Victorian environment laws.
- General Environmental Duty (GED)
- Managing Contaminated Environments
- Fact Sheet - Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018
- EPA Former Sunshine Landfills Publication 1837 – March 2020