Developer eyes ex-quarry and rubbish dump for massive redevelopment

A former quarry and rubbish dump in Melbourne’s south-east could soon be transformed into a massive residential development that will house 2500 people in coming years.

The owner of the 19-hectare site in Oakleigh South has already begun rehabilitating the land in preparation for construction, which could occur within about three years.

The large site is a rare and potentially lucrative opportunity for developer Sterling Global to build a large number of dwellings in the middle suburbs to capitalise on Melbourne’s population boom.

Curt Thompson stands at the boundary of a former quarry and rubbish dump in Oakleigh south.Credit: Joe Armao

A state planning panel will soon decide whether zoning rules should be amended to allow the residential development on the former Talbot Quarry.

A decision is expected in August with the final panel hearings scheduled for next month.

Sterling Global expects its “urban village” will be home to 2500 people in the next five to eight years.

That vision for the property has alarmed some nearby residents who have vowed to fight the project amid fears that toxic materials found beneath the surface would become a neighbourhood hazard.

But Sterling Global argues the land can be safely rehabilitated and wants to build a combination of “mid-priced” townhouses, apartments and possibly serviced and student accommodation. The project would also include some retail outlets.

The developer’s website said the land can accommodate eight “superlots”, including three buildings up to six storeys. The other superlots will include buildings of between four and six storeys.

However, the development will also need the approval of the Monash City Council and the state government if it is signed-off by the planning panel.

The site was used as a sand quarry from the 1950s to the 1990s while part of it was given over to municipal landfill.

Curt Thompson and some local residents who are concerned about development plans for the former Talbot quarry site.Credit: Joe Armao

Curt Thompson, who is leading a community campaign against the project, said the site’s former use as a rubbish tip and quarry meant it was inappropriate for a large-scale urban development.

He said there were already problems with toxic substances leaching from the site.

Mr Thompson said the community was feeling nervous and “unprotected” against the environmental risks posed by the project.

“Who is looking out for us?” he said. “The risk is too great. That’s the bottom line.”

But Sterling Global said expert witnesses had found that landfill gas mitigation measures would make the site suitable for “sensitive land uses”.

An environmental report revealed that in one section of the land methane and carbon dioxide were present in “significantly elevated concentrations” and may be migrating off-site.
The report, by environmental and engineering consulting firm Coffey, found other hazardous materials including asbestos, arsenic and petroleum hydrocarbons were also present.

Site project manager Glen Slimmon said the report ultimately found the land could be rehabilitated for development and residents’ concerns were inconsistent with the overall environmental assessment.

“There are many large sites in Melbourne that have been successfully remediated and undergone urban development,” he said.

An artist's impression from 2015 of Sterling Global's concept plan for the former South Oakleigh quarry.

Mr Slimmon, director at Sinclair Brook which is working on the development, declined to disclose how much Sterling Global had paid for the site.

With Melbourne’s population exploding, Mr Slimmon said the Oakleigh South development would provide much needed homes to families and residents who did not want to live in the inner suburbs or outer growth areas.

He said there were few sites of a similar size that could be redeveloped.

Greens MP Nina Springle is opposed to the planned quarry redevelopment. Credit: Rob Gunstone

Greens South-Eastern Metropolitan MP Nina Springle said the development proposal raised memories of the disastrous gas leak from a closed landfill next to the Brookland Greens housing estate in Cranbourne in 2008.

She said the Oakleigh South development should be scrapped.

“The only responsible thing to do with that site is remediation and turn it into public open space,” she said.