Hannah Hammoud
MAB corporation has bypassed Hume council and is seeking to the planning minister’s approval for three planning permits to develop the notorious former Tullamarine toxic landfill “buffer land” in Westmeadows.
Through three draft planning permits MAB corporation is collectively seeking approval for the subdivision of land (34 lots), use and development of land for a warehouse and data centre and reduction in car parking.
The draft planning permits and draft planning scheme amendment are currently with the Department of Transport and Planning and the minister is considering whether to prepare, adopt and approve them.
The process means Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny will be the responsible authority for the application, bypassing Hume council.
In 2022, MAB corporation sought to build on the land as part of an amendment to Hume’s planning scheme, but the plans were rejected by a majority of Hume councillors in a 7-2 vote.
Council received 326 submissions on the proposal, the majority of which were opposed to it as they argued the buffer land was needed to protect existing residential areas from the former landfill site.
This most recent planning scheme amendment is the fourth proposal for the Western Avenue land in recent years, but is the first time it has been taken directly to the planning minister.
An environmental audit in 2014 found the land’s groundwater was contaminated to a depth of 15-25 metres, and found that the land is suitable for industrial and sensitive uses, including residential as long as construction did not interfere with the groundwater and access to landfill monitoring boreholes on the site was maintained.
Planning documents submitted by MAB corporation in 2022 stated that the land was no longer needed as a buffer between the landfill and existing houses and was safe to develop.
Terminate Tullamarine Toxic Dump Action Group secretary Helen Van Den Berg said the health concerns from residents are not being heard and is calling for a public, transparent process regarding the best use of the land.
“When does the community get considered? Here the only thing that matters is the profitability of a developer,” she said.
“We got inflicted with a toxic dump for the benefit of industry in Victoria. We’re still exposed to airborne toxic chemicals from the dump’s stack. Now we’re supposed to take further impacts from development.
“… How much burden does this community have to take? We want a fair process that considers our concerns, not just the developers’ concern.”
Residents can have their say until 5pm on Wednesday, May 10 via shorturl.at/oqy56.
Hume council was contacted for comment.
