Tea Tree Gully recycling centre approved despite rejection from the local council

A plan to turn a “rundown” servo into a recycling centre – which promises to donate 10c to charity for each item – has overcome objection from the local council.

Plans to convert an ageing Tea Tree Gully service station into a recycling centre – which failed to win support from the local council – have been endorsed by the State Commission Assessment Panel.

Epishas and Sons Pty Ltd successfully lodged plans with the panel for a mixed-use development including a fuel outlet and recycling facilities at 1272 North East Rd.

It would operate 8am to 5pm, weekdays, and 8am to 4pm on Saturdays.

In a company submission, the Statewide Recycling Depot stated the service would “fill a gap” within Adelaide’s collection depot network.

“There are currently no collection depot services for members of the public to redeem their containers or donate containers, namely regions such as Inglewood, Houghton, Gumeracha, Birdwood and other Adelaide Hills areas,” the submission stated.

The council had expressed concerns with the “external impacts” of the proposal with “numerous elements” not fully resolved or justified, and wanted more information on visual, traffic and noise impacts and waste management, panel documents show.

However, the panel approved the plan this week and applicant Emmanouel Pishas said he hoped to be accepting cans and bottles – with customers able to donate 10 cents to charity from each item – from early next year.

“It’s been a long battle,” Mr Pishas said.

“We’re really pleased with the result, but it was at a huge cost. We’ve put tens of thousands of dollars into this project.

“But we believed in it and financially backed it to proceed.”

However, Mr Pishas said it was disappointing the local council did not support the plan and could not see the community benefit it would bring.

He said he had spent the past few weeks painting, repairing and modifying the centre which had become “rundown for a lot of years”.

The existing service station would be partially used for a recycling centre. Picture: SCAP

However, the plan had also received 23 submissions from residents who were concerned with anticipated traffic and visual impacts, vehicle queuing, excessive noise, odour emissions, attraction of vermin and the “appropriateness” of the facility.

In a letter to the panel, Mr Pishas said the proposal would attract up to 1500 customers a month, but operating hours would decrease from a 24/7 operation and therefore reduce traffic impacts.

Tea Tree Gully Council did not support the proposal for 1272 North East Road. Picture: SCAP

He said his family had operated a restaurant, function centre and resort in the Adelaide Hills and had never encountered health issues involving state government authorities.

“If there was a vermin issue within our operation the consumer would not hesitate to contact the local council,” Mr Pishas said.

Senior planning officer Ben Scholes said the centre would generate employment and provide “convenient services for the community” and the application had addressed all concerns.