Waste disposal `out of control'

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE -- Queensland's natural environment is being degraded at an accelerating rate despite all attempts to halt the damage, senior Environment Department officials told a Local Government Association seminar here on March 24.

The mining industry was accused of becoming the nation's “eighth state” with its own rules.

As well, sewerage plants were being run outside licensing requirements, waste water was being discharged into estuaries and rivers, fish kills were regular events, and power stations were failing to meet pollution standards.

The officials spoke in favour of the state government's new Environment Protection Act, which came into force on March 1, claiming it would give environment protection policies real “sting” for the first time.

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