East Narangba Community Action Group

GPO Box 89
Kallangur 4503
Ph. 3888 5287 Fax 3888 8218

Promoting a Better Environment for Our Families
and Future Generations

Following the apparent breakdown in discussions (or at least the fortnightly meetings seemed to have been dispensed with) over the Narangba Industrial Estate problems, we offer these comments on concerns in the Estate which we regard as imperative to the surrounding community.

1.Failure to adhere to the advice and recommendations in the Narangba Industrial Estate Impact Assessment Study of 1995.
a.Failure to provide a green buffer zone
b.Failure to provide a stream protection zone
c.Failure to provide flora and fauna corridors
d.Failure to provide air quality monitoring
e.Failure to provide any safety for people outside the industrial estate
f.Failure to re-visit the Impact Assessment Study to address issues stated or requiring further attention
g.Failure to provide evacuation plan or community emergency plan
h.No accurate wind measurement for the estate neither speed nor direction – the nearest at Deception Bay is inaccurate for the NIE area.
i.Misleading signage in the Estate – General Industry to Special Development – still does not say Noxious Offensive and Hazardous.
j.The Estate is called Narangba Industrial Estate but when developed first it was in Deception Bay. Name should be changed because it does nothing for the name of Narangba.

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN – NOT COST EFFECTIVE OR INCOMPETENCE?

2.Narangba Industrial Estate Draft DCP went on display at the Deception Bay Shopping Centre
Impossible for community to read the document on a stand in the middle of the Shopping Centre and this failed to give residents on the other side of the Highway access to this information.
Increased size of the Noxious, Hazardous & Offensive Precinct from 70 hectares to 110+ hectares was never mentioned in the document. Despite inquiries, the information only became available public after two residents inquired at the Pine Rivers Shire Council. PRSC were even then unaware of the increased size. Objections by the council that the DCP failed to take into account the advice & recommendations of the IAS which were still ignored.
No risk hazard assessment was made either prior nor following the increased size of the NOH precinct.
THE SIGNAGE IN THIS ESTATE STILL DOES NOT SAY OR INDICATE IT IS NOXIOUS, OFFENSIVE AND HAZZARDOUS. THIS IS FRAUD! BY TELLING PEOPLE THE TRUTH THEN THEY CAN DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES IF THEY WANT TO LIVE IN THE AREA.

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN – NOT COST EFFECTIVE OR INCOMPETENCE?

3.The Narangba Industrial Estate Reference Group was an ideal venue for discussing issues arising in this estate and mediating conflicts between business, the community and the council/government. Unfortunately it was a toothless tiger, and issues when aired could not always be resolved.
Two businesses (both recent causes of major environmental incidents) had the council sack the community reps
The two reps appointed by the Council for Deception Bay never turned up to meetings for three years despite requests by the other community rep to the NIERG for other reps to be appointed. Rep for Narangba told not to send NIERG Updates to the Deception Bay Community Council – the same organisation that the two NIERG Reps belonged to.
Business complained that they didn’t know anything about what went on in the NIERG – community Rep had to send out info because business reps were not reporting information back. Council now claim to be forwarding information to businesses.
Rep who videotaped footage of company clearing out sediment tanks in streams and dumping it illegally in the creek behind the bush was called a liar.
Person nominating to become a community rep on the NIERG stated he was there to ‘keep an eye’ on Dean Wells then Minister for the Environment for Ken Hayward.
Seems to be government policy that jobs ahead of environment – therefore EPA officers forced to keep giving businesses that were environmentally unsound more time to improve – stretching into years and years.
Environmental Vandals in the Estate given 2 (two) weeks NOTICE
of impending audits.
Noise issues raised but not addressed
Dust issues raised but not able to be addressed by either State Development or Police while the environment, streams continued to be devastated.
Chemical spills, leaks, incidents and accidents kept secret and extent and damage not reported.
Reliance on community to police estate
Too many incidences of businesses doing the wrong thing – eg. pipe placed under Boundary Road leaking liquid from NOH business into the Pine Rivers Shire.
Despite letters to State Development and Council over issues both tend to blame the other and take a defensive stand rather than address the issues.
Did EPA, Qld Health, DSD, and other Government representatives report back to their superiors re the Community Problems highlighted in this meeting – we don’t believe they do because these problems still exist in this estate.

Did the Council representatives report back to heads of their departments with regard to these problems. Don’t believe so because they still exist.
Surely no Council or Government would ignore these problems for over 10 years.

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN – NOT COST EFFECTIVE OR INCOMPETENCE?

4.Other issues:
No one would consider the accumulative or domino impact of emission in the estate although we continually asked them to.
No one would consider the accumulative or domino impact of new business in this estate although we continually asked them to.
No list of chemicals stored, used or sold on sites in Estate
No signs warning residents that the Industrial Estate contains noxious, hazardous and offensive – in fact signs state that it is General Industry
Pine Rivers Shire Council and Caboolture Shire Council do not warn prospective residents about this Estate and they even encourage them to install Water Tanks in the area.
Possibility of fire in the NIE was raised several times, CHEM Unit and Fire Services came to NIERG Meeting and claimed that fire would not present any problem to residents or other businesses in the NIE.
When Steritech was being built the Community had a meeting with Mike Reynolds when he was Minister, Heads of all Emergency Services, Caboolture Council and others at Headquarters at Kedron, and were told as above – we had no need to worry if there was a Fire or Nuclear Disaster in this estate as there were disaster plans in place not only for the business individually but also the Whole of Estate and the surrounding Community – we now know this was total and utter rubbish as no such plans were in place and the Binary Fire is typical of what the Community feared.
EVERY TIME THERE IS A FIRE OR AMBULANCE SIREN IN THE AREA AT NIGHT MAN PEOPLE HAVE ADVISED THAT THEY LAY IN BED THINKING THIS COULD BE THE END FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY FEAR IT IS AN ACCIDENT OR FIRE AT STERITECH.
Odours are ever present. Day and Night.
The issue of addressing the odour problem by using deodorisers raises more concerns because at least when the odour is present, residents know to lock themselves inside. Pathogens are contained in the emissions especially for the PRSC Biosolids Facility which can pose as a health hazard to residents in all areas.
By the governments and councils’ inaction and blaming each other – businesses doing the right things are being tarnished by those doing the wrong thing.

Need to discern what is going into the air, in what quantities and find out what is causing long term health problems as well as short and long term problems caused by the Binary Fire. We have been asking this for over 10 years.

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN – NOT COST EFFECTIVE OR INCOMPETENCE?

5.Recent attempts to get community and business together through a meeting with the aim of finding commonalities and addressing issues and developing a plan to take to the government to get some security for businesses and employees failed when Pastor Rauchle was too busy to meet with the Community but sides with the Offending Industries.

If the businesses were doing the correct thing – there would be no accidents, no odours, no spills and no emissions – obviously they are not doing the right thing!

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN – NOT COST EFFECTIVE OR INCOMPETENCE?

6. There has been in the last 18 months 3 chemical plants given permission to build and open in this estate. The three of them sit on the same creek that has been destroyed by the Binary Fire. WHY would anyone build a chemical plant on the banks of a creek. Especially a creek that runs through RAMSAR, CAMBA & JAMBA Wetlands and into Moreton Bay - a Marine Park.

A & C Chemicals have for years been on this same creek and have been one of the major polluters in this estate – noise, odours and spillages.

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN – NOT COST EFFECTIVE OR INCOMPETENCE?

7. The Steritech Nuclear plant has been built in this estate much to the dismay of the Community. Nuclear Sterilisation is an archaic method – we now have much more environmentally friendly and less harmfully methods. Why did the Smart State agree to this.

The plant is un-guarded during the day and the gates are wide open – this does not make sense in the era of potential Terrorists attacks. In America these types of plants (Irradiation & Power) are no fly zones to aircraft and are heavily guarded 24 hours per day. One cup full of Cobalt 60 (at Steritech there are 350 Rods stored equalling 3,500,000 curies of radiation) in the planes that flew into the twin towers would have wiped our New York. Cobalt 60 is what was used at Maralinga and look how our Diggers died after Marralinga – horrific deaths – is this what you , The Government,

want for the Communities surrounding this Estate. Steritech have had 2 notified fires at both their Victorian and New South Wales plants – how many un-notified we will never know.

The floor height of this building is at least 1 metre lower than approved drawings. Running along the footpath outside Steritech is a GAS pipeline. This pipeline is unmarked – It used to have signs but they have disappeared and have not been replaced. Now if a backhoe or digger comes alone and hits this pipe guess what will happen. Inside Steritech is a hugh exhaust fan which will suck the gas into the Chamber and bang another explosion. Again bigger than Binary. IS THIS GREAT PLANNING OR WHAT?

Opposite Steritech are TWO Bio-diesel plants! Now why would State Development sell land for this so close to NOH Industries? It has been stated by and Independent Certifier that these plants do not comply with BCA. These plants hold highly volatile products – now WHAT if there is a fire at one of these plants. It will be bigger than Binary let me tell you because if one goes up the other will – the heat alone will cause this and how will Steritech fair if this happens.

Opposite Steritech and the Bio-Diesel plants is a new (not opened yet) timber recycling yard – now imagine what will happen if either of the above happen – this place will go up also and guess what – It sits beside Highway No 1. Another Eye sore for our Interstate and Foreign Visitors to view whilst travelling around the Smart State. Good planning or what?

At the last meeting with State Development Dr Mike Logan was asked if he would send his Firemen into the Narangba Industrial Estate if he heard that Steritech was on Fire and if so how would they fight this fire or disaster and did his men have appropriate clothing and equipment to fight a Nuclear Disaster. He took some time to advise that they had a plan – Establish safe areas/unsafe/ dangerous – NO SUCH THING AS A SAFE AREA IF ITS NUCLEAR. He would then obtain equipment to measure the level of radiation (who would do this measurement as I am sure his men won’t want to do this) then they would put Boundaries around where it was unsafe and then obtain the appropriate gear and a robot. By this time the community around this estate would be dead.

The President of the Federation of American Scientists, Dr Henry Kelly in March 2002 issued a paper to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and this Community sent copies to The Premiers Department,. Queensland Health, State Development, EPA and local Members. We are most surprised to find that none of those present understood what the Community was talking about when they stated that by the time Dr Logan did all he said he would do the Community would be dead. At the time of sending this article to the Health Minister, Wendy Edmonds, she advised us that she had no faith in the paper Dr Kelly wrote and tried to discredit it. We wonder how many other Ministers thought like she did and ignored this paper.

8. Caboolture Shire Council monitor Ridleys Agri Products. There is constant smells emanating from these premises. It is the belief that Caboolture Shire Council does not have the resources with the qualifications to monitor anything in this Estate. This estate should only be monitored by EPA. Councillor for the Division that this Estate is in has been Chairperson for the Narangba Industrial Estate Reference Group for many years and he was and is still aware of the problems but they still exist. If Council had the resources to fix the problems surely they would now be fixed.

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN – NOT COST EFFECTIVE OR INCOMPETENCE?

9. At the last meeting with State Development we were advised that testing was done for Dioxins. At the previous meeting 2 weeks prior we were advised that no testing for Dioxins had been done. What did really happen. The Community went to this estate early on Friday 26th August, 2005 and did the following testing –

Water – samples were taken from several places
Soil – samples taken from several places including the creek bank close to Binary. At this time it had not been fenced off from the Public.
Leaf Matter – samples taken from grasses, trees, weeds, plants along the
Creek bank and near Binary and further in the Bush.

The Community who took these samples are only a bunch of ordinary people and it did occur to them that these samples needed to be taken so we contacted a Bio-chemist and a Scientist and they both came to help us take the necessary samples – may we now ask why EPA and Qld Health did not know to take these samples – after all they are the qualified people and the experts in this area.

10. The Community did have a list of Chemicals that Binary had declared and before the end of Friday 26 th August also had a list of chemicals not declared. The Community has since been given more information of stock held on these premises which were highly volatile.

The Community also contacted experts overseas to question just what would happen when the declared chemicals and undeclared chemicals were involved in a fire of this extent.

11. How could Queensland Health look to see what the long term health effects could be for the residents surrounding this estate when they did not have a clue what chemicals were actually stored on these premises.

Queensland Health released a Media Statement saying that the residents had nothing to fear or worry about and that it was safe for children to attend Moreton Downs State School on Friday 26th August, 2005. How could they make such a statement when no testing had been done? The air testing could not have possibly been testing for the Chemicals that were at Binary

as no one knew exactly what was on the premises at the time. Even when the Manager gave a list he only listed those chemicals he was licensed to stock and ignored all the contraband as the Company was not licensed to carry a lot of what they had in stock.

Queensland Health then stated they had contacted all the Doctors in the area surrounding the Estate. This statement was then altered to “some Doctors in the area” and again altered to a “few Doctors”. Actually most of the Doctors surveyed by the Community were unaware of the Narangba Industrial Estate and were shocked to find that it was Noxious, Offensive and Hazardous Industries. They were not approached by Queensland Health and said that if someone came to them with an odd illness they would not have know to ask if it could be chemical exposure.

12. At a recent Council meeting (June 2006) Caboolture Shire Council approved All Treatment Timbers (Using CCA treatment) to extend their shed which sits on the bank of the Creek. Their reason for this is that they sent the application to the EPA who said they were not interested. This is criminal – this business should not have been situated on the bank of the creek (actually the lagoons) in the first place little lone allow them to extend their shed which holds this treated time after it has been through the process and is drying.

13. On the Western Side of the Highway in the Narangba Industrial Estate is a business called Sunstate Coatings – this is a Noxious, Hazardous & Offensive business that has been situated in the wrong area. It causes great problems to the residents and residents who do no have covered accommodation for this vehicles find that they are rusted within 12 months because of the emissions from this plant.

14. We have attached to this letter 5 other documents which we feel should be read after this. This letter and the attachments are just the Communities opinions but we feel we have to voice them so that the Government understands we urgently need to have the wrongs rectified in this estate.