Councils upset after VCAT gives green light to expansion of Ravenhall landfill site

Local councils and residents in the western suburbs are upset after the planning tribunal gave the go-ahead for the expansion of Victoria’s biggest tip. So what’s the stink all about?

The Ravenhall landfill site.

Victoria’s biggest tip has been given the green light to expand amid continuing protests from western suburbs councils and residents about “disgusting” odours and other issues.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has rejected a bid to stop expansion of the Melbourne Regional Landfill at Ravenhall.

Groups including Melton and Brimbank councils, and activist body Stop the Tip had argued against approval of seven more landfill cells on grounds including odour, landfill gas, litter and other wastes.

Melbourne Regional Landfill at Ravenhall. Picture: David Smith

But in a decision considered significant for planning law reasons, VCAT ruled in favour of the Environment Protection Authority’s approval for works at the “hub of state importance”.

“Its construction and the scale of its capacity are vital to the ability to manage waste for metropolitan Melbourne in the immediately foreseeable future,” said the tribunal’s decision.

VCAT said that based on evidence from some residents, the size of the landfill had potential for offensive odours to be generated beyond the beyond if not properly managed.

“However, we hold grave doubts that such historical odour events impacted residential amenity to the extent put to us by Stop the Tip,” the decision said.

The tribunal’s order allowed the works with amended and extra conditions.

A Stop the Tip protest.

City of Brimbank mayor Lucinda Congreve said the council was very disappointed.

“On behalf of our community and the west, we’ve been fighting against a plan to extend a rubbish tip that already has existing problems, and which would lock the area into using obsolete and ineffective modes of waste disposal,” she said.

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An EPA statement welcomed the decision, and said the EPA was committed to preventing harm from pollution and waste.

“(It) can assure the community that it will actively manage and monitor the site’s compliance now and into the future,” it said.

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@JMasanauskas