Soil plant appeal

By Lia Bichel
A CONTROVERSIAL planning permit knocked back by the City of Greater Dandenong council will go to VCAT.
Renex applied last week to appeal the council’s decision to refuse a high-temperature soil treatment plant on Ordish Road, Dandenong South.
A VCAT spokesperson said a date for the hearing has not been set.
The council rejected the application in November.
At the meeting, councillor Peter Brown said though he thought Renex offered a good proposal, the difficulty was in the choice of site.
Cr Roz Blades agreed, stating the overall feeling from the community was that: “this is the wrong site for this application”.
Councillors also agreed to engage solicitors to defend their decision if the permit refusal was challenged.
The decision was well received by many residents, including environmental group Residents Against Toxic Waste in the South East (RATWISE).
President of RATWISE Thelma Wakelam said the group strongly opposed Renex’s application and was concerned about potential health hazards the facility could create.
“Due to the delay in its lodgement we had hoped they had accepted this industry is not suitable for this locality,” she said.
“The community of Dandenong South is already concerned at the current levels of pollution in the area. The potential for airborne dioxins is an unacceptable risk.
“RATWISE would like to see new checks and balances and a scaling down of the Industry Two Zone, with its handling and treatment of dangerous and hazardous materials.”
Federal Isaacs MP Mark Dreyfus said he had addressed the EPA about residents’ concerns.
“Members of the local community have expressed concern to me about the application process, and I believe they have the right to know whether the air they breathe and the land they live on will be impacted by the proposed soil treatment plant,” he said.
“I have been in touch with the EPA to try and find out what has changed since an application was rejected by the Hazardous Waste Consultative Committee in 2002, but am still waiting a satisfactory response.”
Renex director Marinos Angelodemuo did not return calls from the Star before going to print.