The Environment Protection Authority’s submission to a panel about the future use of contaminated land in Deer Park was withdrawn before the hearing began.
As reported by the Weekly, an independent panel received 14 submissions about manufacturing giant Orica’s application to have 72 hectares rezoned from industrial to commercial, with two state government agencies advising against it.
The state Development, Business and Innovation Department said it feared the panel’s approval could eventually lead to a school being built 200 metres from a plant involved in “significant chemical production”.
Orica wants to sell the site, which is believed to be contaminated with lead.
An EPA spokeswoman said its issues with the proposed amendment had been resolved before the hearing and the authority would not provide a copy of its submission.
“EPA Victoria raised with Brimbank council the issue of potential adverse amenity impacts if any sensitive uses were to be established in the eastern section of the site,” the spokeswoman said.
“This was discussed and EPA was able to satisfy itself that any sensitive uses would require a planning permit and that council would assess these applications and use its discretion as the responsible authority, and additional controls would not be needed.”
The panel found that ‘odour modelling’ undertaken was not adequate to determinate a separation distance between the existing industrial area and “possible sensitive uses”.
The site is on the eastern edge of the Deer Park major activity centre, which includes a shopping centre and railway station.
Brimbank council will vote on the plans on February 11.
