Regional Victorians could face higher rates and cuts to local services in order to remediate contaminated soil at the proposed Commonwealth Games Athletes Village site in Delacombe.
During Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) hearings today, Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery, Jacinta Allan, stopped short of guaranteeing local councils wouldn’t be forced to absorb the cost of making the site suitable for housing, and said works with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are ongoing.
Despite being less than three years until the Commonwealth Games are held, the Andrews Government is yet to classify the soil, or reveal where it would be dumped throughout the process.
Shadow Minister for the Commonwealth Games, David Southwick, said locals deserved to better understand the government’s plans with the Delacombe site.
“For months, local Councils have been asking the government for clarity on what their financial contribution will be, and yet less than three years out, we learn they could be forced to pay for contaminated soil remediation,” Mr Southwick said.
“Thousands of regional Victorians would be right to wonder whether or not this will mean higher rates for years to come.
“All we hear from the government is that conversations are ongoing. Talk is cheap – it’s time for action.”
