Steamed over chimney
ALCOA is undecided about the future of a chimney stack at the decommissioned Anglesea Power Station, but says it will be retained “for the time being”.
Alcoa Anglesea asset manager Warren Sharp said it had planned to demolish the stack but was now undecided after a two-year community consultation process revealed a mixed response.
“Potential uses of the stack include as a medium for public art or for repurposing as a lookout,” Mr Sharp said.
“If no genuine interest or opportunity to repurpose the structure is identified, it will be removed.”
Anglesea Bike Park committee of management chairman Mike Bodsworth said Alcoa had failed to reveal the results from the community engagement process to show how many people supported retaining the stack.
“It’s completely out of place as an element in the landscape,” Mr Bodsworth said.
He said the stack was not suitable to be used as a lookout because surrounding ridges would constrain views.
Alcoa’s phase four community engagement report states that it received 1300 individual comments about its draft concept master plan for Alcoa’s freehold landholdings, including the former power station site, from January 31 to March 6.
But an Alcoa spokeswoman failed to reveal how many people had supported retaining the chimney stack when asked by the Geelong Advertiser.
Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson labelled the stack an “eyesore” and said she was concerned Alcoa had not made its community survey public.
“Unless there is overwhelming community support that it should remain, I believe it is incumbent on Alcoa to remove the chimney,” Ms Henderson said.
Surf Coast Shire environment and development general manager Ransce Salan said the council had not determined a position on the future of the chimney stack.
Meanwhile, Mr Sharp said the removal of steel materials from the decommissioned power station was on track to be completed within six months of the October 3 demolition.
He said air monitoring at the power station had been ongoing since the first demolition on May 30 and would continue until all debris was removed.