During the debate on the Dangerous Goods Amendment (Penalty Reforms) Bill 2019, the Liberal Nationals sought to insert new provisions to better protect Victorians from illegal stockpiles of dangerous goods.
The amendments moved by the Liberal Nationals would have required WorkSafe to publicly report on the number of people who have illegally stored or transferred dangerous goods and the addresses of abandoned factories and other locations where dangerous goods have been stored illegally. The amendments would also have required WorkSafe to publicly report the number of inspections carried out, and the locations where dangerous goods have been disposed.
The industrial fires that have occurred across Melbourne in the past few years have only heightened community concerns about illegal activities and the failures of government regulators to enforce the law.
The Liberal Nationals’ proposed amendments provided a check that would make the Andrews Government and WorkSafe more accountable to the community, and would have helped restore confidence that they're getting on top of the issue of illegal stockpiling of dangerous goods.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety, Nick Wakeling:
“The public has a right to know when WorkSafe finds illegal stockpiles of dangerous goods, but the Andrews Labor Government is denying it this right.
“Labor MPs who voted against the Liberal Nationals’ amendments have sold out their communities.”