By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Mayor Jim Memeti’s call to move away Greater Dandenong’s ‘offensive’ industry zone is not supported by the council or State Government.
After the EPA approved a waste-to-energy plant in the industry 2-zone, Cr Memeti said the location was too close to homes and schools in Dandenong South and Keysborough.
Residents, the South East Environment Group and Mr Hira College are some of the vocal opponents to the project at 70 Ordish Road.
Greater Dandenong city planning, design and amenity director Jody Bosman said: “There is currently no consideration being given to any changes to the Industrial 2 zone.”
A Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning spokesperson said the project was an allowable use within a State Significant Industrial Precinct.
“There are no plans to change the industrial zoning in Dandenong South.”
In its submission to the EPA in April, the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) noted need for “extensive buffer zones” from the plant’s location in the Ordish Road precinct waste and resource recovery hub.
“Ordish Road Hub is one of only three locations in Victoria zoned Industrial 2, a zone reserved for heavy and/or offensive industries requiring extensive buffer zones.”
It stated the precinct’s zoning made it a “suitable location for future waste and resource recovery activities”.
The MWRRG – with the support of Greater Dandenong and 15 other councils – created a procurement focusing on long-term residual waste processing needs in Melbourne’s South East and East.
The plant’s proponent Great Southern Waste Technologies did not make the procurement short-list.
Noting homes as close as 800 metres away, Cr Memeti said “we have to weigh up how close we have these industries to people”.
“When that industrial-two zone was mapped out, the population of Greater Dandenong was only 100,000.
“With the population growth, we probably shouldn’t have allowed schools and residences to come so close.
“And we are now 165,000 people and still growing – these are the concerns I have.”
