Boral will have to face an independent advisory committee in its bid to expand the Ravenhall landfill, if Labor wins next month’s state election.
The Labor Party announced last week it would appoint an independent committee that would hold public hearings if Boral submitted a new application to expand the landfill.
The committee would then provide a formal report to the state planning minister, who would make the final decision.
The ALP pledge comes after Melton council rejected Boral’s original proposal in May to expand the landfill by 179 million cubic metres. The council received more than 6600 written objections to that proposal.
Kororoit MP Marlene Kairouz said the independent committee would give local residents the chance to have their say.
“Council is not in a position to deal with such a large application – it’s too big, too complex,” she said.
“A state-led process is the best way to deal with it. Boral have to be able to prove to this independent panel that this is the right thing to do for the area.
“You can’t pre-empt what the independent panel will say.”
Eyal Cohen, of the Boral community liasion committee, welcomed Labor’s pledge but said he would prefer the future state planning minister to dismiss any further applications to extend the site.
“It would be great to see the minister for planning using his ‘call-in’ powers to intercept any further application to expand this landfill,” Mr Cohen said. “The future of Melbourne and its people must be preferred to Boral’s profit agenda. The community have suffered long enough and would be very thankful if the expansion is rejected outright.”
Boral waste solutions general manager Richard McCarthy confirmed Boral would lodge a new application later this year to extend the landfill.
“[We] look forward to continuing to work with the community to develop this essential infrastructure and we welcome any further opportunities for genuine community engagement,” Mr McCarthy said.
