On Friday the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water granted Tomerong Waste Pty Ltd concurrence to operate a non-putrescible solid waste tip.

The concurrence has indicated the government did not find environmental concerns sufficient to stop the tip going ahead.

A spokesperson for Shoalhaven Unwanted Tip (ShUT), John Levett, said the decision defied logic.

“This tip will be one of the biggest in Australia and will be licensed to take environmentally damaging substances such as waste contaminated with lead, oil filters and motor oil containers and building demolition material, which will inevitably contain asbestos,” he said.

“We will be seeking a meeting with DECCW to ask if, now that they are prepared to issue a licence, they can say with 100 per cent confidence that these toxic substances will not find their way into St Georges Basin and Jervis Bay.”