Tunnel safety plea

By Tania Martin
MOUNT Evelyn’s Robert Kuipers has renewed calls for investigations into purported unsafe World War II bunkers beneath the town.
Mr Kuipers and fellow resident Mark Rawson first raised concerns over the issues in March.
Both believe there is a WWII bunker under the town that was used by American troops and fear live chemical weapons may still be lying dormant.
Mr Kuipers even took the Mail to one of the suspect sites in March, fearing that local children had been playing down what appeared to be a mine shaft.
At the time the Shire of Yarra Ranges rushed to check the situation after public concerns about safety.
Billanook Ward councillor Tim Heenan, Mr Rawson and other concerned residents climbed down the ravine off McKillops Road to do a bit of investigating.
At the time Mr Rawson said an investigation would reveal his theory of a WWII bunker.
But Cr Heenan believed the tunnels dated back to the mining area of the late 1800s.
Mr Kuipers last week told the Mail that nothing had been done on the issue since.
He is concerned that chemical weapons such as mustard gas could be sitting beneath the town and nothing was being done to secure them.
“It’s a real concern for the community here … if munitions are under Mount Evelyn and one goes off it’s going to start a chain reaction,” Mr Kuipers said.
He is calling for the council and State Government to take action and investigate the issue and finally put the issue to rest.
Mr Kuipers believes a tunnel could lead from the ravine off McKillops Road, under the Oasis Youth Camp off Monbulk Road right down to the town’s recreation reserve.
“I honestly think the council and the government have a duty of care to the people of Mount Evelyn to investigate it and put the rumour to rest,” he said.
Mr Kuipers admitted that he could be totally and utterly wrong but still believes it’s worth finding out the truth.
“If there is one or two per cent that we could be right it’s worth investigating,” he said.
“I don’t want to wake up in the morning to the news that sink holes developed in the middle of town or an explosive has gone off or the creek fish are floating.”
Mr Kuipers said the State Government and the council wanted to shut the matter away, saying that it didn’t exist.
But he believes there is very strong evidence that it does.
However, Cr Heenan said the council had written to the mines department which had investigated the matter.
“They found nothing,” he said.
Cr Heenan said Mark Rawson was also given the chance to drill holes at the town’s football ground but had come up empty-handed.
“To my mind the matter is closed,” he said.
The Mail contacted the State Government but was unable to get a response before going to print.