General News
25 September, 2024
Council applies for funding to help with clean-up after car wrecker fire
The recent fire could have created environmental issues, says Mount Isa City Council.
Taxpayers may be forced to pay for the clean-up of a Duchess Road wrecker’s yard that was engulfed by flames, as Mount Isa City Council investigates the level of contamination to the area.
Mount Isa City Council chief executive officer Tim Rose said the affected property was legally designated as a wrecking business and is believed to have been compliant with all laws under the council’s planning act prior to the fire on September 12.
He said the council had not issued any infringement notices to the business in the past.
However, Mr Rose said the council was also investigating concerns the property owner may have encroached on state-owned land prior to the fire.
Mr Rose said with the wet season approaching, a formal investigation had been launched to determine what chemicals were stored at the five-acre property that borders the Leichhardt River and the extent that the land had been contaminated during the fire incident.
Firefighters and neighbours have previously told North West Weekly that frequent explosions during the blaze were caused by a multitude of unknown chemicals, gas cylinders and drums laying in the car bodies stacked across the yard.
Mr Rose said council had recently applied for $1 million under the federal government’s Disaster Ready Fund to assist with environmental repairs and fire preparedness across the city and some of these funds may be used to pay for clearing debris and removing contaminants at the wrecker’s yard.
He said the council would await the findings from the investigation from its environmental officers.
“In cooperation with the property owner, we will use some of those funds to clean up the area to make it safe,” Mr Rose said.
“Now there has been a fire we have to first determine the level of contamination at the property.”