Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Thursday 30 August my constituents awoke to the largest industrial fire in Melbourne in over two decades. The massive black plume of smoke billowing from the West Footscray warehouse was visible from all over Melbourne's west. Tens of thousands of residents were forced to stay indoors as toxic smoke filled the air. Over 50 schools and childcare centres were closed, and businesses and roads were shut. Hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze for over 17 hours before it was contained, and the fire continued to burn for a week after this. The fire devastated the local environment in my electorate. The vast volume of water needed to contain the fire carried dangerous chemicals stored on the site to the nearby Stony Creek, a waterway that flows through residential areas and urban reserves such as Cruikshank Park on its way to the Yarra River at the West Gate Bridge.

Stony Creek has been reclaimed and restored through the efforts of the Friends of Stony Creek, a community group, over a period of decades. Through their hard work Stony Creek and Cruikshank Park have become much-loved urban oases in my community. They have now been rendered desolate. Wildlife is non-existent, and people have been told to avoid contact with the water at the site. A black deposit now lines the creek, and a strong stench remains. People living in houses overlooking Stony Creek are still reporting health effects such as headaches, nausea and respiratory issues from these chemical fumes.

My constituents want answers. Many have gathered at a series of town hall meetings to ask how this could have happened. It beggars belief that dangerous chemicals able to fuel such an inferno could have been stored so close to residential areas entirely unbeknownst to authorities. Following the fire a WorkSafe and EPA blitz of nearby industrial sites found an astonishing 68 infractions relating to the handling and storage of dangerous goods in the area. It is not good enough, and these agencies have their work cut out for them to restore community confidence in their regulatory oversight.

My community expects that those who are responsible for the fire and its consequences are held accountable

A police investigation into the circumstances of the fire is currently ongoing, and I will not pre-empt that process. I do, however, note that the sole director of the company that owns the site of the fire had been raided recently by the ATO as part of a crackdown on illegal phoenixing operations—and he is, in fact, currently a director of 26 companies and a former director of 106 companies. Labor has been campaigning for stronger measures to prevent phoenix activities being used by companies to avoid their obligations, and higher penalties for those involved in such activities. I'll be watching the aftermath of the fire closely in this context.

As the focus shifts to recovery, we must also ensure appropriate resources are made available to rehabilitate the local environment. We all have a responsibility to ensure that the community regains its vibrant green spaces as soon as possible. Government agencies will lead the effort, but our local volunteer groups are eager to contribute.