State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp will deliver a Notice of Motion in Parliament this week, calling on the NSW Government to abandon a plan to send 12,000 cubic metres of toxic sludge from Sydney to Newcastle.

Transport for NSW documents have revealed that 12,000 cubic metres of toxic sludge are to be disposed of in Newcastle.

The sludge, to be dug up during construction of Sydney’s Northern Beaches Link, contains lead, mercury, silver, zinc, PFAS chemicals and dioxins. 

Under the NSW Government’s proposal, the material would be processed on a barge in Middle Harbour before heading to Newcastle. The waste would remain in the barge until being loaded into trucks and taken to a suitably licensed waste facility such as Summerhill Waste Management Centre or Cleanaway Beresfield Newcastle.

NSW Labor said it appeared that plans by Transport for NSW and the State Government to settle the dredged sludge in Newcastle were made without widespread community consultation.

Newcastle was not privy to consultation undertaken in Sydney with those affected by the infrastructure proposal. The community only became aware of the Government’s plan to dump the chemical sludge in Newcastle when a report was published at the closure of that consultation period.

State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said the Government was “clearly trying to fly under the radar”. 

“The people of Newcastle have very strong feelings about this proposal, and I’m sure the NSW Government knows this,” he said. 

“We are very familiar with the havoc that PFAS can wreak, and the last thing we want is more of it around our city. 

“Sydney gets the infrastructure and Newcastle gets the toxic waste. 

“Newcastle is not Sydney’s dumping ground.” 

Shadow Minister for Roads John Graham echoed Crakanthorp’s concerns.

“Newcastle has plenty of industrial waste of its own. It doesn’t need 12,000 cubic metres of toxic sludge shipped in from Sydney Harbour,” he said.

“This sediment is hard to dispose of safely because it contains two centuries of lead, mercury, copper, silver, zinc and also contains PFAS, tributyltin and dioxins. 

“The fact that this toxic sludge has to be barged so far raises serious questions about the whole operation.”

Shadow Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley was equally alarmed.

“The Hunter has received none of the infrastructure for this project but is now being shipped the waste,” she said.

“The fact the Government failed to consult with the community shows they know this would never be accepted.

“The Government must treat the Hunter community with respect and be transparent about where this waste will be dumped.” 

Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington said NSW Labor was calling for “clear and proper consultation with the community”.

Hayley McMahon