Wyndham council is still waiting on the green light from the state environment watchdog before it can open four new ‘cells’ at the Werribee tip.
The Environment Protection Authority has twice requested further information about the council’s plans to extend operations within the boundaries of its landfill site on Wests Road since it lodged an application for a works approval in September last year.
According to the Environment Protection Act 1970, the EPA must make a decision on works approval applications within four months of receiving complete applications, but this can be extended if the EPA requests extra information to help with its assessment.
The council wants to build four new landfill ‘cells’ – that will each be made up of multiple sub-cells – within the current tip that can reach 22 metres above ground level.
The council also wants to increase the height of four existing cells – which can currently be filled to a maximum height of 8-10 metres – to 22 metres.
The EPA has asked Wyndham council for more detail about groundwater quality, leachate and stormwater management, odour and noise, and waste management strategies.
It has also asked if the council had considered lowering the maximum height of the cell, including only filling it to ground level.
The EPA has received more than 170 submissions so far on the application, and is holding a public information session at Eagle Stadium on August 1 between 2-8pm for the community to ask questions about the extra information received in relation to the proposal.
The session will include two presentations by Wyndham council, one at 4pm and the other at 7pm.
An EPA spokesman said the organisation expects to make its final decision by mid-September, unless additional information is required to finalise its assessment of the works approval application.
