Decision deferred on transfer station

Complaints about current operations of a Drouin transfer station prompted Baw Baw Shire Council to defer making a decision on a planning application.

Drouin Waste Recyclers has sought planning permission that will allow it to expand its currently restricted operation to use the whole site it occupies at Weerong Rd.

However, in an effort to meet the needs of the business and address residents’ concerns, council has deferred a decision pending further discussions to resolve outstanding issues.

The matter will be brought back to council on August 9 for a decision.

Cr Danny Goss said it was an extremely important decision because it affected residents and a business.

Cr Goss said he wanted officers to investigate ways council could assist the applicant in meeting its permit obligations.

“I think there are ways forward. It’s an extremely serious decision to refuse an application for a business that is employing a number of people.

“I want all the information in front of me,” he said.

Cr Tricia Jones said Drouin Waste Recyclers was a key stakeholder in waste disposal.

“I agree we should delay the matter and I hope the issues identified can be worked through,” she said.

Council received an application from JW Planning Services on behalf of Drouin Waste Recyclers to use and develop the land for a transfer station and reduction of car parking.

The officer’s report said the site was currently used as a transfer station but the use was restricted to the south-west corner of the site.

The new application seeks to use the whole site and expand the types of materials permitted to be collected, the length of time the materials occupy the site, the amount of materials to be permitted on site, and the hours of operation.

Officers reported there had been ongoing compliance issues with the current operations and legal proceedings were scheduled for July 31.

On behalf of the applicants, DWR employee Kylie Jolly said the current owners took over the business in 2014 and were informed in March 2016 about alleged permit breaches.

She said council officers recommended the owners apply for a new permit and it had taken 10 months to get to this stage.

Ms Jolly said they had removed 90 per cent of the timber and green waste from the site and had stopped receiving tyres and oil.

She said in the past timber had been shredded on the site for compost but they had been restricted from shredding.

“If we could shred on site we could get rid of it (timber waste) weekly.

“We have been trying to develop a bigger area because of the volume coming in.

“Granting us a permit will assist us to clean up the site. We don’t want the site to look like this, we want to shred it and process it and keep it out of landfill,” she said.

While the business operates in an industrial zone, a number of nearby residents addressed council, raising concerns about the current operations and alleged noncompliance.

The grounds of objection were based on amenity impacts including noise, dust, vermin, traffic, litter, fire risk and breach of hours of operation.

As an adjoining resident, Anthony O’Neil told councillors they had to deal with increased vermin, dust from the processing of materials and odours from de-composting materials. “Visually this is an absolute mess,” he said. Mr O’Neil said they bought their house in 2011 and did their due diligence. At the time, he said the waste business was a clean operation on one third of the site.

He said it was now an “absolute eyesore” and volumes of rubbish sat there for long periods of time.

Ashley Lyall complained of the excessive dust on his residential property and the operating hours.

“My main objection is the effect it’s having on my property and it’s every day.

“Our cars and houses are covered in dust,” he said.

Glenda Barrow objected to the application’s proposal to receive vehicle bodies and car parts.

She said the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal previous ruled that vehicle bodies and car parts were prohibited on the site.

Ms Barrow said her family operated a metal recycling business in Weebar Rd and received car bodies.