The State Government is facing mounting pressure to reclaim control of a Leeming reserve suspected of being used as an illegal dumping ground, with community leaders claiming the City of Melville has failed in its management responsibilities.
Historical landfill site raises fresh concerns
John Connell Reserve in Leeming, previously operating as the Dundee Road Landfill from 1974 until its closure in 2000, remains classified as contaminated land requiring remediation under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation officially lists the site as contaminated remediation required.
Jason Meotti, convener of the Bull Creek-Leeming Community Action Group, sounded alarms last month about potential illegal waste disposal activities at the reserve. He's now calling for the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage to assume management from the City of Melville and oversee proper decommissioning before returning control to local authorities.
Evidence of waste accumulation emerges
The reserve contains mounds reaching approximately five metres in height, which Meotti claims are not natural formations but accumulated waste materials deposited by the city over two decades. Satellite imagery dating back to 2004 appears to support these allegations, with Meotti estimating the mounds contain between 4000 and 5000 tonnes of waste materials.
Currently visible at the site are piles of blue metal and crushed road tarmac, alongside other building materials. The City of Melville's own website acknowledges contamination including construction waste, domestic waste, asbestos-containing materials, and heavy metals, with soil capping described as thin or non-existent across parts of the site.
During an on-site meeting last Thursday, city officers reportedly admitted they had no comprehensive knowledge of what materials had been deposited at the location over the years. This admission has prompted the council to engage consultants for soil testing, with $75,000 allocated in the city's budget for this purpose among other tasks.
Future sporting facilities at stake
The contaminated site sits adjacent to existing sporting ovals, and Meotti believes proper remediation and levelling could create space for two additional ovals. This potential has attracted interest from the Leeming Spartan Cricket Club, which sees the location as a possible solution to their space requirements.
City of Melville CEO Gail Bowman confirmed in a statement last month that the city had used part of the site for several years to store materials including bricks, drainage pipes, logs, and rocks. She emphasized the city's efforts to manage public health risks through remediation work and fencing of untreated areas.
Bowman described the stored materials as surplus from construction and maintenance activities, including aggregate, sand, and turf cuttings. She also noted that staff accessing the area receive operational briefings to ensure safe storage practices.
The controversy is set to reach council chambers with Cr Clive Ross preparing to present a motion at the November 18 council meeting. The motion seeks a health assessment of sporting activities near the former tip site and cost estimates for remediation and oval conversion while preserving existing trees.
Mr Meotti was scheduled to present a deputation about the site at a city briefing on November 11, reflecting growing community concern about the management of what was intended to be recreational land under a 21-year management order from the DPLH.
