Latest news with #HumeCityCouncil
Perth Now
08-07-2025
- Perth Now
‘Tornado' of trash plagues suburb
Fed-up homeowners are calling for their local council to deal with a mountain of illegally dumped rubbish in a Melbourne neighbourhood. A vacant lot in Craigieburn, north of Melbourne, has steadily piled up with rubbish for months, with one local resident describing a 'tornado' of waste being blown around daily. A Current Affair spoke to the dump's neighbour Alexandra, who said 'every single day' she sees a new pile of rubbish. 'It's gotten to the point of squalor,' she told the program. She said that the dump started with tyres and mattresses, but now it keeps piling up and she fears it will soon grow to reach her fence. Another local, Angela, told the program the dump gets worse when it is windy. 'A lot of the times when we've got high winds, a lot of the rubbish ends up on our nature strips and footpaths and it becomes quite dangerous,' Angela said. The site has become a health hazard with chemicals and pet waste also being dumped at the site. Locals say the rubbish tip keeps getting bigger. Nine (ACA) Credit: Supplied Alexandra told the program she had contacted the local council repeatedly, but received no follow up. She is calling for fencing and surveillance cameras to be installed to stop and catch any offenders. 'Please come and clean the rubbish. It's really getting to getting to us all and we need something done. It's disgusting and it's disappointing,' she said. Homeowner Alexandra said she had contacted the council repeatedly. Nine (ACA) Credit: Supplied The program spoke to the Deputy Mayor of the Hume Council Naim Kurt, who said the situation was 'not good enough'. 'That's why I've spoken to officers today and I want them to be getting on top of it. 'So we're going to be prioritising this.' Hume City Council has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussie first home buyer's new suburban purchase turns into 'disgusting' nightmare
A major city council has pledged to step up action at a notorious illegal dumping hotspot, after frustrated locals warned the issue has spiralled out of control at new housing estates. In Craigieburn, 25 kilometres north of Melbourne's CBD, rubbish has been piling up for months at a vacant lot next to a property recently purchased by new homeowner Alexandra. She and her neighbours say the waste issue has become so bad it often overflows onto nearby nature strips and footpaths during high winds, becoming "quite dangerous" to both pedestrians and drivers. To make matters worse, the mess frequently attracts cats, crows and maggots with locals saying it has become a health hazard due to the presence of chemicals, pet waste and rotting food. Alexandra says she has repeatedly pleaded with the Hume City Council to take action, but was initially told they were unable to do so because the rubbish is located on private property. The Melbourne woman said she was proud to have purchased in the area but now feels as though she can't have guests around due to the unsightly mountain of waste in the area. "And now it's like, 'Oh yeah, come, come round, but let's just display this huge disgusting rubbish dump that I've got next door'," she told A Current Affair. "It's like a tornado of rubbish just getting blown around every day. Every single day, I see a new pile of rubbish. It's gotten to the point of squalor." It's an issue Yahoo has reported on frequently in recent months. A Victoria Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesman confirmed earlier this year that the rate of illegal waste dumping has skyrocketed across the state – something that is being felt on new suburban outskirts. While locals are frustrated in Craigieburn, it's certainly not the only region in Melbourne currently trying to combat the problem. On the outskirts of the city, where suburbia meets farmland, shocking images supplied to Yahoo in March show building waste, such as polystyrene and plastic sheeting, dumped in the environment alongside mattresses and household rubbish. It costs the City of Melton —adjacent to the City of Hume — $2.3 million a year to rectify. In the Shire of Moorabool, Bacchus Marsh has also recently become a dumping ground. In the southeastern suburbs, Cardinia Shire is urgently asking residents to report any illegal dumping they see. Meanwhile in Bendigo, illegally dumped household waste has "turned once-pristine parks into unsightly wastelands". In fact, illegal dumping has become an "all too familiar story" nationwide. Danny Gorog, CEO and founder of Snap Send Solve, said the illegal act is more than just rubbish left in the wrong place; it signals a bigger issue with waste disposal accessibility and awareness. Video captured trash-filled trucks emptying their loads onto private property in broad daylight in April, highlighting the brazen nature of the offenders. In Tarneit, in Melbourne's west, fields of waste stretch over acres of property. It's privately owned, but it resembles a council rubbish tip. Gorog said whether it's dumped tyres in fields or household waste dumped in laneways, "it shows we need better solutions to make proper disposal easier" and more convenient. As for Alexandra, she wants an immediate resolution. "It really does need to be cleaned up," she said. "We have a lot of families in our neighbourhood, young children. We're worried about our health and our safety. It's disgusting and it's disappointing." This week, the Deputy Mayor of Hume City Council, Naim Kurt, vowed to improve the clean-up effort and "prioritise" the Craigieburn location. Photo exposes illegal act 'surging' across Australia Confronting photos expose $2.3 million hidden reality Sad reasons why 'disgusting' dumping is on the rise "Nothing grinds our goat more than dumped rubbish, and we've had a huge war on waste that we've been conducting against those doing the wrong thing in our community," he told ACA. "I agree it's not good enough ... I've spoken with officers, and I want them to be getting on top of it." Yahoo News Australia contacted Hume City Council for an update on the situation on Tuesday. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Nine hospitalised, 200 evacuated after chemical leak at Melbourne pool during routine maintenance
A routine Friday evening(June 20) swim turned into a nerve‑racking emergency at the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Centre when a chemical reaction during maintenance sent a cloud of sodium hydrogen sulphate, a common pH‑adjusting agent, through the air, sickening nine people and forcing around 200 visitors to evacuate. What happened At 6:15 pm on June 20, patrons reported a gas‑like smell in the building. Fire Rescue Victoria rushed in within six minutes and discovered that the most affected were children. Eight kids and one adult were taken to local hospitals in stable condition, six to Sunshine Hospital, three to the Royal Children's Hospital. Emergency teams worked quickly to ventilate the centre, and by 8:16 pm, it was deemed safe to re‑enter. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free IELTS Cheat Sheet IELTS Prep Pro IELTS Prep Pro Learn More Undo Centre staff also stepped into the spotlight. Hume City Council credited their team's calm but firm evacuation and swift coordination for helping avert a worse outcome. A council spokeswoman said evacuees have been in touch and 'we understand they are all doing well'. Cause of the incident Hazmat units confirmed the culprit was sodium hydrogen sulphate, often used in pools to safely adjust pH levels. The reaction occurred during standard pool cleaning and no foul play is suspected. WorkSafe and Victoria Police launched investigations, while the Hume City Council began an internal review to ensure this doesn't recur. Live Events The incident raises questions about safety checks in recreational facilities used by families and children. Council officials confirmed all swim lessons resumed the next morning, after WorkSafe cleared the facility. Now, stakeholders await clarity from the internal review on what triggered the chemical imbalance.
News.com.au
22-06-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Nine hospitalised, 200 evacuated after chemical incident at public pool in Melbourne
Nine people were taken to hospital and 200 evacuated following a chemical incident at a public pool in Melbourne's north. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) were called to the Broadmeadows Leisure Centre about 6.15pm on Friday night after people reported the smell of gas inside the centre. Firefighters found multiple people affected by the chemicals upon arrival. A FRV spokesperson confirmed to NewsWire that nine people were taken to hospital for treatment following the incident. About 200 people were evacuated from the leisure centre while FRV hazmat specialists ventilated the premises. A positive reading for sodium hydrogen sulphate was found by the hazmat specialists. The centre was confirmed to be safe to re-enter two hours later by FRV. A Hume City Council spokeswoman said the incident was sparked by the occurrence of a chemical reaction during routine pool maintenance on Friday evening. The spokeswoman said the nine people taken to hospital had been in contact with the council, and 'we understand they are all doing well'. 'Following a thorough assessment by WorkSafe immediately after the incident, it was confirmed the facility was safe to reopen Saturday morning,' the spokeswoman said. An internal review has been launched to confirm the incident's cause, and to ensure it doesn't happen again. 'We thank our staff and emergency services for their swift and professional response and thank the community for their understanding and support,' the spokeswoman said. Sodium hydrogen sulphate, also known as sodium bisulphate, can be used to adjust pH levels in water.
The Australian
21-06-2025
- Health
- The Australian
Nine hospitalised after chemical incident at Broadmeadows Leisure Centre
Nine people were taken to hospital and 200 evacuated following a chemical incident at a public pool in Melbourne's north. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) were called to the Broadmeadows Leisure Centre about 6.15pm on Friday night after people reported the smell of gas inside the centre. Firefighters found multiple people affected by the chemicals upon arrival. Nine people were taken to hospital following a chemical incident at the Broadmeadows Leisure Centre on Friday night. Picture: Instagram/@balcleisure A FRV spokesperson confirmed to NewsWire that nine people were taken to hospital for treatment following the incident. About 200 people were evacuated from the leisure centre while FRV hazmat specialists ventilated the premises. A positive reading for sodium hydrogen sulphate was found by the hazmat specialists. The centre was confirmed to be safe to re-enter two hours later by FRV. A Hume City Council spokeswoman said the incident was sparked by the occurrence of a chemical reaction during routine pool maintenance on Friday evening. About 200 people were evacuated. Picture: Instagram/@balcleisure A positive reading for sodium hydrogen sulphate was found by Fire Rescue Victoria hazmat specialists. Picture: Instagram/@balcleisure The spokeswoman said the nine people taken to hospital had been in contact with the council, and 'we understand they are all doing well'. 'Following a thorough assessment by WorkSafe immediately after the incident, it was confirmed the facility was safe to reopen Saturday morning,' the spokeswoman said. An internal review has been launched to confirm the incident's cause, and to ensure it doesn't happen again. 'We thank our staff and emergency services for their swift and professional response and thank the community for their understanding and support,' the spokeswoman said. Sodium hydrogen sulphate, also known as sodium bisulphate, can be used to adjust pH levels in water. Clareese Packer Reporter Clareese is a Court Reporter at NewsWire. She previously covered breaking news for the outlet after completing the 2023 NewsCorp cadet program, where she worked at The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, the National News Network and NewsWire. Clareese Packer
