Residents and business owners are up in arms over plans for a 100 square-metre, eight metre deep pit at a Plumpton rock-crushing plant.
North Altona Rock Blasting Company has applied to Melton council to create a pit, 100 metres by 137 metres, and eight metres deep, at their Plumpton Road Recycling Centre.
A company spokesman said the pit would be used to set up crushing equipment and would reduce dust, noise and fuel emissions, alleviating concerns of nearby residents and businesses.
But some are not convinced. About 20 home and business owners met with council officers and councillors last week to air concerns about the company’s proposal, and the council’s handling of complaints.
They say they are worried the company’s operations are going to expand and make the present situation worse.
One resident, who lives about a kilometre from the crushing plant, says dust is a daily emission from the site.
Almost everyone who spoke up raised similar concerns about dust and potential health impacts.
“I’ve got a six-month pregnant daughter breathing in the dust every day,” one person said. “Cement dust sits on everything – it’s destroyed the facade of my building. This [new proposal] is only going to make it worse.”
But a North Altona Rock Blasting Company spokesman denied the dust problem was caused by the Plumpton operations.
“I don’t accept [the site] emits a lot of dust,” the spokesman said. “When it’s windy, we don’t crush. And, also, we have two water carts spraying water down to keep the dust out.”
