By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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MELBOURNE Water has joined objectors against Greater Dandenong’s push to rezone 337 hectares of flood-prone green wedge land in Bangholme for industrial use.
In a submission to the Urban Growth Boundary Anomalies Advisory Committee last week, Melbourne Water submitted that the rezoning was inappropriate because the site was within a buffer zone around its major hazard facility, the Eastern Treatment Plant.
Its advocate Alexandra Guild told the hearing a buffer zone was needed to allow for accidental emissions and odours from the plant, which treated 330 million tonnes of sewage a day.
She said the proposed rezoning was not an anomaly but a major change, at odds with 20 years of statutory planning for buffers.
The water authority had also objected in 2003 when the then-state government rejected a previous Greater Dandenong submission to rezone the site on the basis of the land being within the plant’s buffer zone and odour concerns.
Last week, a submission by economist Brian Haratsis, on behalf of developer Intrapac – which owns land in the proposed zone – argued these concerns would be alleviated by the plant’s commissioned odour-control facility.
“Issues relating to the odour control from the Eastern Treatment Plant were likely to be resolved between 2007-2012 as the plant invested infrastructure that treats the odour emissions from the primary tanks,” he said.
The plant was an “opportunity” for a business hub, as a supply of recycled water. The rezoning would “address employment deficits in the greater south-east region” and wouldn’t impact on the amenity of residents.
Alan Hood, whose property adjoins the site, said he was facing a $200,000-$300,000 drop in value for his farm.
He argued the rezoning would expose more workers to possible chlorine plumes from the treatment plant, and would exacerbate the flood risk in what is part of the Carrum swamp area.
Ms Gould said the flood drainage issues could be managed, but at great expense.
The site in question, bounded by EastLink, Harwood Road, Frankston-Dandenong Road and Eumemmerring Creek, includes an inundation overlay in its north-east corner.
