Potential for putrid smells from mine

By Helen Tatchell

A notice of an application to amend a planning permit has been lodged with council, and residents in the area are not happy.
Maddingley Brown Coal Pty Ltd (MBC) has submitted the application to ‘Amend the Wording’ of Condition 11 and 21 on their permit, to enable putrescible waste to be accepted at the site.
Currently the permit allows for Use and Development of the Land for a Landfill, Production of Soil and Soil Products (including Composting) and Works Associated with those Uses; Materials and Recycling (Metals and Construction and Demolition Waste) at 11 Tilleys Road in Maddingley.
At the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 6 February, resident Mr Gerard Miller asked councillors to consider a greater distance than the 500-metre radius distribution of notices to residents, which he believes is “inadequate.”
“There are neighbours who live closer than me, and they don’t have a notice. Can the notices be sent to at least a one-kilometre radius, or even two-kilometres, as this proposed amendment application will have a great effect on everyone in the area.
“The Grammar school didn’t even know about it, and they are on the door step of the mine,” Mr Miller said.
Council officers agreed to an extended mail out distance of one-kilometre.
Another resident Bob Levy took to social media to inform residents of the proposed amendment and possible impact on the saleability of homes and land.
“The changes concern a larger area than the mail out reached.
“I feel very confident in saying there will be a number of days each year where a greater than 2.5km distance will be impacted by odours and dust,” Mr Levy said.
However, Hemla Reddy – on behalf of MBC – said in a letter (26 Oct 2018) to a Council officer that the amendment application submitted to Council requires no further engineering for the acceptance of municipal/putrescible waste.
“The EPA-approved design for Cell 6, (EPA approval dated 22 March 2018), currently under construction, achieves the criteria of a Landfill BPEM (Best Practice Environmental Management Publication 788.3) Type 2 Landfill containment system, allowed to accept municipal/putrescible waste,” the letter read.
Objections to the application were due to expire on Tuesday 19 February, but due to the extra mail out advising further landowners of the application, the expiry date for objections will now be Tuesday 5 March 2019.
Council officers will then prepare a report on the amendment application with a recommendation to grant or refuse the amendment at a future council meeting.
Member for Melton Stephen McGhie told the Moorabool News he is aware of the application to amend the planning permit.
“I have contacted the Minister for Planning Richard Wynne for more information, and am just waiting for a return response,” he said.

Putrescible – Liable to decay; ‘putrescible domestic waste’