Heatherton tip site to be developed despite promises it would be turned into a park
NEIGHBOURS are furious after a controversial former tip site was sold to a developer, despite promises it would be turned into a park.
South East
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A CRUCIAL link in Kingston’s planned ‘Chain of Parks’ has been bought by a private developer leaving the green dream for the former landfill site in limbo.
The 72ha Heatherton site has been bought from Transpacific Industries by Henry Street Developments despite the council’s plea for State Government to step in.
In June Kingston Mayor Steve Staikos wrote to Energy, Environment and Climate Minister Lily D’Amrosio warning that the “pending sale” of the land was a “serious threat” to the 30-year-old parkland plan.
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He urged the State Government to buy the land for the good of the community.
“The Kingston community and particularly the residents of Clarinda, Clayton South, Heatheron and Dingley Village have endured years of distressing adverse amenity impacts from the landfills in the confident belief that this land would eventually be secured as core parkland for them by the State Government and council as designated by the Public Acquisition Overlay,” Cr Staikos wrote.
Cr Staikos also met recently with State MPs and candidates for the upcoming state election seeking support to prioritise land acquisitions to enact the Chain of Parks.
According to ASIC documents Henry Street Developments was set up in December 2017 with Miro Sloup and Chhieng Hok Be listed as directors.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning documents sighted by the Leader reveal a caveat was placed on the property by the private company in March.
Defenders of the South East Green Wedge secretary Barry Ross said allowing the site to be “alienated from the public” would be a “massive betrayal by the authorities”.
Mr Ross said residents had put up with the “smell, dust, noise and traffic generated first by the sand mining and then the landfill operations” with the promise that the end result would be parkland.
The former tip at 101-157 Old Dandenong Rd was part of an ambitious Kingston Council plan to turn 366ha of land between Heatherton and Clayton South into a series of linked parks.
It has been closed since 2013 with Transpacific’s permit for the site due to expire on September 19.
The Green Wedge land is subject to a Public Acquisition Overlay with Parks Victoria listed as the acquiring authority.
Cr Staikos said the council was keen to see the State Government acquire the land to realise the Chain of Parks vision.
The Leader has been told the company plans to create a private golf course on the land but no proposal for the site has been lodged yet with the council.
Henry Street Developments and Energy, Environment and Climate Minister Lily D’Amrosio have been contacted for comment.