THE City of Greater Bendigo council did not do any hard-metal testing on its new recreation reserve at Huntly, despite anecdotal evidence of elevated arsenic levels in the area.
Historically, Bendigo Creek has suffered from the effects of the city’s mining history, with contaminated soil running down it.
Farmers around the creek at Huntly believe over the years floods have forced some of that arsenic-laden soil onto the
local flood plains.
Some locals have also reported as recently as 1985 that slum had been mined from the creek.
A recent soil test on a property near the site of the new Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve, which backs onto the creek,
reportedly discovered unusually high levels of arsenic. Anecdotally, some farmers in the area over the years have put patchy pasture growth down to the problem.
During the public consultation process of the Northern Corridor Structure Plan, at least two nearby farmers questioned the suitability of the site for a recreation reserve. They said one of the reasons the land was
unsuitable was: “Salinity problems and high water tables affecting part of the lands, together with areas that have been impacted by mining and tailing
operations with quite high levels of arsenic in the soils.” Council Presentation and Assets director Jos Duivenvoorden  said
despite this, no heavy metal tests had been done before work began on the facility.
“Normally we wouldn’t do it unless there was a good reason to believe the levels were exceptionally high,” he said. “We don’t think there would be any reason as to why it would be higher there than anywhere else.
“However, if there was any evidence we needed to, obviously we would do it, but we don’t believe there is any necessity to do it.”
Mr Duivenvoorden said any action as a result of a high test could be limited.
“If we did test and found it was marginally high, what would that mean,” he said.
“Would we stop a multi-million dollar project and spend $1 million fixing it?
“Perhaps that money would be better spent elsewhere in the community.”

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