John Van Klaveren
A RESIDENTS group has slammed a proposed multi-million dollar grain-storage development at Corio Quay North.
North Shore Residents Group has lodged an extensive objection to the proposal, claiming it was “dismissive” of the impact on anyone living nearby.
Bunge Australia has announced plans for a 450,000-tonnes-a year bulk grain export terminal on land leased from Midway.
The grain receival facility and three storage silos will connect to an existing woodchip loader at Corio Quay North, creating up to 100 jobs during construction and up to 15 ongoing.
President Bruce Cohen labelled the proposal as dangerous and a traffic hazard that would add 100 to 200 truck movements a day.
The applicant’s report on the proposal was “flawed and dismissive of the issues involved and the impact on the local area and the residents”, Mr Cohen said.
“Trucks already pull out from the Midway site without due care and attention to other road users. With the proposed increase in truck movements this will make an already dangerous practice totally untenable.
“The impact on local residents could be fatal if an emergency requiring fire brigade or ambulance was to occur during a peak time logjam and access to local residents was delayed or denied.”
Mr Cohen said the proposed entrance was directly opposite a Mission to Seafarers facility and adjacent to Moorpanyal Park, a children’s playground.
The facility’s operating hours were unspecified, so it could easily run 24 hours seven days a week by default, he said.
Residents were also concerned about the use of toxic fumigating chemicals.
“The report says some of these substances have been banned in Australia for general use but they’re allowed as a quarantine and pre-shipment treatment for exports such as wheat and other grains,” Mr Cohen said.
“This obviously poses an unacceptable threat to the local community.”
Bunge Australia general manager Chris Aucote said he would work through issues with residents to explain how the operation would work and minimise its impact on the neighbourhood.
“The modelling we undertook is based on peak maximum movements per day but in reality there’ll be significantly less volumes than that,” he said.
“Trucks will be time slotted in, all transport operators will be accredited and licenced contractors and we have the capacity to can hold trucks on-site if need be.”
