It was a hive of criminal activity, but for 70 youngsters from as far as Canberra and Brisbane, being involved in murder, drugs and sabotage was just the best way to kick-start the July school holidays.
The students were participants in the 15th annual Forensic Science Camp at The Armidale School (TAS), held from June 26-30. The camp was first held in 1994 and attracted widespread interest after featuring on the former ABC TV science show Quantum.
Boys and girls, from both government and independent schools in the city and the country, were divided into groups of four detectives. They then solved fictitious felonies using a range of forensic techniques, including microscopy, chromatography, fingerprint analysis, cryptography and general science. They analysed the evidence, identified and interviewed the suspects, ordered medical and scientific tests and searched criminal databases. On the final day of the camp, a local magistrate conducted a ‘court case’ in which the teams had the chance to convict their suspect.
The scenarios are developed by ‘Camp Controllers’, former participants who lead the camp. Scenarios use procedures including blood typing, fibre testing and soil analyses to solve a range of crimes, from theft, to vandalism and murder.
Rosie Scanlan, a Year 8 student at Frensham, Mittagong, worked on a scenario where a fight in a bar was followed by two counts of murder. “It was such a brilliant experience I am so glad that I had the chance to partake in it,” she said.
“I found fingerprinting really great – it was so much fun to play with! The blood analysis and the ballistics test were fun as well, but I found keeping my evidence simple and organised in court a huge challenge. The camping side was amazing, and the classrooms are all really high-tech.”
Flying in from Detroit for his 11th camp was former TAS student Andrew Patterson, now an IT consultant.
“Certainly technology has evolved significantly since my first camp in 2001 and it has been great to watch how new technologies are being integrated into the camp each year,” Andrew said.
“I always enjoy returning to see what new crimes have been created, and seeing bright kids working on incredibly difficult problems over several days. I’m always delighted to see the deep satisfaction that campers have at the end of the camp and know that they benefitted from the truly unique experience that the camp offers.”
The Planning Assessment Commission made amendments to the proposed Conditions of Consent drafted by the Director General (Department of Planning & Infrastructure). The amendments mainly pertained to increasing the stormwater and leachate holding capacity of the landfill facility to manage runoff from larger rainfall and flooding events so as to protect sensitive ecological communities downstream of the site. These include the Oxley Wild River World Heritage Area.
ADC would like to assure the community that the facility will not adversely impact on the surrounding environment.
Chairman of the Waste Management Committee Councillor Bruce Whan echoes this relief.
“At last we have a new landfill site. The Waste Management Committee started looking for new landfill sites when I was first elected to Council around 15 years ago and has been progressively implementing initiatives to reduce putrescible material being placed into landfill and thereby minimising greenhouse gases and leachate,” said Cr Whan.
“This announcement gives certainty for disposal of our waste for the next 50+ years, but I am sure that the present Waste Management Committee and the new Sustainability Committee will continue to find ways, such as the recent City to Soil program, to increase our diversion rates away from landfill. By recycling or reusing more and more products, we can all extend the landfill’s life even further.”
ADC can now start to plan for the transition from and rehabilitation of the existing landfill on Long Swamp Rd. Construction on the new landfill, which ADC intends to operate as close to a class one landfill as possible, will commence next year as there are a number of management plans that need to be prepared in consultation with various government departments, as determined by the development conditions, and submitted for approval. The land purchase and subdivision process also needs to be completed.
“The new landfill will not be open to the public, as waste will be taken to the existing Waste Management Facility on Long Swamp Rd, processed and then transported to the new landfill,” said David Steller, ADC’s Director of Public Infrastructure. “The facility on Long Swamp Rd will continue to be the disposal point for residents’ recyclable materials and general rubbish.”
As the project was determined to be a controlled action under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, NSW Planning will be submitting all the relevant documents pertaining to the environmental assessment and development approval conditions to the Federal Minister for sign-off in accordance with the bi-lateral agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and New South Wales Government.
