"It's a bad idea. If the dump goes ahead, we will have trucks carrying extremely dangerous material along 500 kms of highway through central and north west Victoria," said Jennifer Alden. "The Calder is already a truck hazard. Add 10 loads of hazardous waste a day to it and we'll set off a time bomb for all road users and people living in towns along the highway."

"This is just another example of the Bracks Melbourne mind-set at work. The government sees a toxic waste dump at Hattah-Nowingi as an out of sight and out of mind solution. It's in a non-Labor electorate, a long way from the city," said Jennifer Alden.

There are a number of other good reasons why the area is not the place to dump toxic waste: - it's close to a prime agricultural area, where over 95% of Australia’s dried grapes are produced, - the location forms part of an important wildlife corridor between the Hattah Kulkyne National Park and the Murray Sunset National Park, - it will make management of threatened bird species like the Mallee fowl, Mallee Emu-wren and Black-eared Miner more difficult, - the Hattah-Nowingi site is rated as being of the highest ecological value.

"The National Party proposal for a gasification plant to deal with toxic waste would create even more problems" said Jennifer Alden " This is old technology that produces air and water pollution, plus heavy metal and other residues. Too much water would be required and the possibility of dioxin emissions - the most poisonous cancer-causing toxin - remains."

"This waste disposal problem needs to be tackled at source. We must put in place requirements for industry to work towards clean production and take a cradle to grave responsibly for waste. In the meantime, the Bracks government must agree to genuine consultation with communities in Victoria's north and north west, " said Jennifer Alden .

For more information, please contact: Jennifer Alden (mob) 0427 430 233 Dave Lane (mob) 0419 156 213