NOVEMBER 15, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
Stress cure a winner
(Luke Hemer)
It started off as a hobby three years ago to relieve stress and learn how to protect herself. But 14-year-old Caroline Chisholm Catholic College student Jasmine Khong’s passion for taekwondo has taken her to the top 10 of international competition. Jasmine says she followed a friend into the sport as a way of empowering herself. “I was scared to go out,” she says. “It [taekwondo] was something to help defend myself. Society is really scary at the moment, so this was a way of overcoming my fears … Taekwondo was a great stress reliever.” The sport has been a natural fit for Jasmine, who finished ninth in the WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships recently in Lima, Peru, where she exhibited her top-shelf techniques in the under 12 to 14 division. “To go to Peru was a big achievement enough,” she says. “I didn’t know I could do such things. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was my dream to watch the Olympics, now I want to participate.” Jasmine has grown to love her sport so much, she practices everywhere, even in supermarket aisles. “Mum doesn’t hand me any shopping bags because I’m usually practising my moves.” Ben Cameron
Anger mounts over dump By Alexandra Laskie
AU MA ST DE R IN AL IA
A Sunshine North waste facility operator may be hauled before the Magistrates Court for a second time in four months after failing to comply with a court order to clean up rotting stockpiles of waste. Brimbank council successfully prosecuted West End Bin Hire in the Sunshine Magistrates Court in July for failing to adhere to its waste transfer station planning permit obligations. The business was convicted and fined $40,000 and ordered to pay costs of $253. Yet little appears to have been done to clean up the site, on the corner of Balfour and Auburn avenues, and the business has reportedly
continued to accept more waste despite the court ruling prohibiting it from doing so. Brimbank city development director Stuart Menzies said the waste business “appears to be continuing on the land in a limited capacity”. “It is disappointing that a number of ... operators continue to think they can come into the City of Brimbank and flout planning and environmental controls,” he said. “Council has liaised with the Environment Protection Authority to co-ordinate further enforcement action. Council is also considering further proceedings at the Magistrates Court.” When Star Weekly visited the site last week, rubbish spilling on to the road included mattresses, an old bus, carpet, cardboard, car
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Rubbish at the site last week. (Alexandra Laskie)
parts, plastic and household waste. In some areas, rubbish was piled about five metres high. A neighbouring landowner, who did not want to be named, said he was sure asbestos was among the rubbish. He said the site had
become a “free-for-all” for illegal rubbish dumping and that he had footage on his mobile phone of people arriving in vans and throwing bags of rubbish over the fence. EPA metro manager Dan Hunt said the authority had visited the site several times alongside Brimbank council staff. “The site is located away from homes, schools or public space, so the risk to the community from any asbestos is low,” he said. “However, it remains a priority for the EPA and officers will return within the next week to collect samples to check for asbestos and other waste materials.” Star Weekly has attempted to contact West End Bin Hire for comment.
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