By Luke Voogt
Fears of a toxic blaze have forced City Hall to pursue legal action against a Lara recycling company.
The City will face C&D Recycling at the Victorian Administrative and Civil Tribunal next year following the company’s alleged non-compliance with its planning permit.
“The safety of residents is the highest priority,” said City Hall services director Guy Wilson-Browne.
“That’s why we’re continuing to work closely with the EPA and CFA to resolve safety issues at the C&D Recycling site on Broderick Road, Lara.”
The City of Greater Geelong opposed the development of the recycling site at 300-400 Broderick Road, Lara, in 2016.
Both the EPA and CFA raised safety concerns about the operation of the site.
However, at the direction of VCAT, the City issued a planning permit for the use and development of the site, subject to various conditions, in August 2016.
City Hall issued a fire prevention notice to C&D Recycling in August 2017 over concerns the company’s nine-metre high stockpile presented a hazard.
The EPA later issued the company a statutory notice to cease accepting waste until the site complied with Victorian Government’s interim Waste Management Policy.
The company defied the notice, according to EPA chief executive officer Nial Finegan.
“EPA has been very clear in its view on how this site needs to be managed,” he said.
“However, the duty holder has appealed this notice to VCAT.
“EPA will continue to work with council and others to ensure the duty holder acts to reduce the fire risk posed by the site.”
C&D Recycling lodged an application to VCAT to extend time frame for compliance to its permit in response to the City’s legal action.
The parties involved will attempt to resolve the matter at a VCAT compulsory conference in January 2018.
If the City and C&D Recycling fail to do so, they will appear at VCAT for a tribunal hearing in March.
The current action comes after the City’s previous action against the company through VCAT and the Magistrates’ Court.
The Indy made multiple attempts to contact C&D Recycling via the company’s publicly-listed phone numbers before going to press on Thursday.
The State Government updated its waste management policy in response to a fire at a recycling plant at Coolaroo which saw 150 homes evacuated in July.
The government appointed a taskforce consisting of authorities included the EPA to implement extra management measures to ensure community safety.
To date, the taskforce has conducted 88 inspections of 73 sites and issued 37 statutory notices.
