Outback Community Newspaper Est 1982 8672 5169 Thursday 13 September 2012 •Mechanic ISSN 1833-1831 on duty •Tyres •Tyre repairs •Fuel •Parts •Opening hours 7.30am- 5pm Tel: 08 86725 920 http://cooberpedyregionaltimes.wordpress.com RESIDENTS & RATEPAYERS FACE NEW TIP COSTS Coober Pedy residents now have in their hands the latest council rates notice which sets out new tip charges on a separate sheet accompanied by vouchers. Certain rubbish dumping that previously only applied to commercial users, now applies to domestic users. In addition to the new usage requirements, locals may also be seeing up to 2 million dollars in costs incurred to relocate the dump. The current tip is said to be built on a site of significance to the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people and Council has been asked to relocate it elsewhere. Most Coober Pedy residents would be aware of the Native Title claim over the whole local government area of the township. The District Council of Coober Pedy issued a media release informing residents of the progress of the claim in the CPRT on 30 October 2008. The same release has been re-issued on page 3 of this edition. Coober Pedy District Council Mayor, Steve Baines said, "Council currently has licence to operate a landfill site that has been identified by the Native Title claimant group as an area of significance and Council has been advised that we will be required to relocate to another location. Council is currently working with the state and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to identify alternative locations." According to Mayor Baines the EPA take several factors into account, including the level of usage when considering Above: The Coober Pedy Tip after 16 years of burying local garbage a licence. "The current site is known to have a clay base and therefore will not contaminate any underground water The need to relocate the tip to a new site in addition to the John Dunstan said that he had concerns with the Native systems. There are no other areas in Coober Pedy that new rules, is likely to be another cost paid for directly by Title claims over the Opal Fields and approached members have such a base, therefore dependant on the level of residents and ratepayers if funding continues to be of the Native Title claim group executive committee. usage we may have to either go down the very expensive unavailable. “Basically we are looking for certainty for our industry, road of geo technical liners for our pits or alternatively he said. build a waste transfer station. Either way Coober Pedy The additional cost according to estimations by the District will be moving into recycling which will also see a 2 bin Council of Coober Pedy, has been calculated in the vicinity Mr. Dunstan said he was told that the Coober Pedy land household system in the future." said the Mayor. of 1 ½ - 2 million dollars. claim would not affect the Opal Miners or the Opal Fields and that the claim was only concerning royalties from the "After our meeting with EPA and Zero Waste we were So far two locations for an alternative tip site have been bigger mines on their land. “Believing in what we were advised that if our current usage exceeds 1200 tonnes identified and cleared by the Native Title Claim group, told, the Coober Pedy Opal Miners Association signed the per annum there are other requirements to consider, which however the Civil Aviation Authority (CASA) and the documents, he said may mean we would need a larger pit with geo technical Coober Pedy Miners Association (CPMA) have issues with liners or a waste transfer station. If we were able to stay the two locations. "It is now bitterly disappointing to find that the Native in our current location, based on our current usage, it Title holders are seeking to shift the town rubbish dump would enable council to look at more thoughtful Vice President of the CPMA, John Dunstan said, "Two at the expense of the ratepayers, and place it in the opal alternatives for relocation and avenues for possible locations have been earmarked as possible sites, but from fields, said Mr. Dunstan." funding,” Mayor Baines said. our point of view they are not suitable." John Dunstan said he has personally spoken to Senior "We are presently in the process of weighing all rubbish "Site 1 is 3 kilometres down the old South Road opposite Elders of the Native Title group to find out about the area collected by Council, from both the town sector and the explosives magazine inside the opal fields. It would being a sacred site or a site of significance.. "Each member Umoona Community to achieve a more accurate average take a substantial piece out of the Black Flag field." told me that it was not a sacred site, however one member usage per annum." told me it was a mystical site", he said. "Site 2 is one kilometre south of the Highway’s camp on "Council currently spends $200,000 per year on the the Stuart Highway and straight opposite housing in Potch “The rubbish dump has been there for 16 years. If the collection of domestic rubbish and operation of landfill Gully. The site chosen is also a designated opal field", Native Title claim group are interested in protecting their site. This cost has now increased as the District Council said Mr. Dunstan land, why would they go out and damage another area?” seeks to secure a new and suitable location for the tip. asked Mr. Dunstan. Once a suitable location is found, it is at this date unclear While pigeons, birds and flying plastic bags are a concern if Coober Pedy will be required to fall into line with the for CASA, the Coober Pedy Opal Miners Association has John Dunstan further said, “I understand there is a Native growing trend of establishing a Waste Transfer Depot, or issues with opal bearing ground becoming a dump. The Title meeting in Port Augusta on the 18th and 19th whether we will maintain a landfill site in a different current tip site is commonly known to have been chosen September and at this meeting I believe the Coober Pedy location." because it was devoid of opal and has a waterproof clay dump will be discussed. At this stage the Coober Pedy base. Residents and council workers also don’t have to Opal Miners Association hasn’t been invited, when in fact "Whether we will be required to maintain a new landfill negotiate a major highway to access it. the opal field are being targetted for a tip.” site or a transfer station the burden of cost falls directly onto the user ie residents and ratepayers that this service The CPMA are now on the scout for a location that can Chairman of the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara, David operates for", said Mayor Baines. be presented as suitable to everyone. Brown was unavailable for comment this week. SERVING THE OPAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD SINCE 1982 The COOBER PEDY REGIONAL TIMES Borderline El Niño PO Box 275 Coober Pedy SA 5723 Ph: (08) 8672 5920 conditions continue Email: MARGARET MACKAY has been [email protected] the Editor of CPRT since 2005 and covers general news stories, photography, advertising and Next Newspapers coordinating of community As detailed in the ENSO Wrap-Up, tropical Pacific Ocean Thursday 27 September contributions. temperatures have approached or exceeded values commonly Thursday 11 October Thursday 25 October associated with the early stages of an El Niño event, however Thursday 8 November atmospheric indicators of ENSO such as trade winds and cloud Thursday 22 November SUE BRITT has contributed patterns still remain below El Niño thresholds. To be considered an Space booked by Wed (week prior) articles and photographs of local ENSO event, climatologists look for sustained signals in both the Material must be in Fri prior interest since 1993. 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