A Wyndham council plan to open new cells at Werribee tip would rob a generation of residents of their voice, a local campaigner has claimed.
The Environment Protection Authority is assessing a Wyndham council works application to extend operations within the existing boundaries of the Werribee refuse disposal facility by building four new cells up to 22 metres in height.
The council also wants to increase the height of four existing cells – which can currently be filled to a maximum height of eight to 10 metres – to 22 metres.
Don’t Waste Wyndham spokesman Harry van Moorst said that if approved, the plans would prevent a whole generation of Werribee residents from having their say on the future of the Werribee tip because the four new cells would take about 30 years to fill.
“We believe that it should be done on a basis of cell by cell, which is the traditional way that they’ve done it in Werribee and lots of other landfills,” Mr van Moorst said.
“If they do it cell by cell, it means the community gets the chance to make comment.
“We would argue it’s totally contrary to government policy on waste management, which is to see landfill as a last resort.”
EPA development assessments manager Tim Faragher said about 160 residents had lodged objections about the expansion with odour, health impacts and proximity to residential areas the key concerns.
Mr Faragher said the EPA and Wyndham council would host a community consultation session about the application at the Mansion Hotel and Spa on March 14 from 6pm to discuss and clarify concerns raised in the submissions.
Meanwhile, Brimbank mayor John Hedditch has called for an expansion of the Ravenhall tip to be stopped.
If approved, the tip would be about 1.5 kilometres from the Wyndham boundary.
And pressure is mounting on the state government to release an independent planning panel report it received more than a month ago assessing the application to expand the Ravenhall tip.
– Charlene Macaulay and Sumeyya Ilanbey
