Road freight terminal rejected

By Lachlan Ellis

An application to build a road freight terminal at the vacant site of a former treated pine timber yard in Bungaree has been rejected by Council, citing amenity impacts and proximity to a school.

Seven objections were received to the application at 355 Bungaree-Wallace Road, with one objector, Lisa Steinhouse, addressing Council at the 16 November Development Assessment Committee.

Ms Steinhouse listed a number of concerns she and other objectors had, “including traffic management, B-double truck movement, noise pollution at the entry and exit, future growth at the site…and safety concerns in relation to movement of fuel tanks”.

She argued that the proposal was also “contrary to the future development of Bungaree township”.

Speaking on behalf of the applicant, James Robson told Council the truck movements would be negligible when compared to the average movements on a rural highway.

“Peak hourly movements are expected to be limited between three and four movements per hour. Operationally speaking, this volume is insignificant when looking at the hourly capacity of a rural highway, with normal expectations of 310 vehicles to 1510 vehicles an hour before reaching an unacceptable level of service,” Mr Robson said.

“Freight operations have been proposed to primarily occur between 3am and 10pm, with provisions for occasional late arrivals from long haul trips.”

Cr Paul Tatchell put forward an alternate motion to approve the facility, arguing it would provide much-needed jobs and industry in the western half of Moorabool, which Council recognises as being in need of further development.

However, Cr Tonia Dudzik argued the site was far too close to homes and schools.

“I support economic development in the right place. The issue with this application is that five objectors live next to this site, five people’s homes will be impacted by this development. It’s very close to schools, it’s a township zone, it’s where we predicted there would be growth. In my view it would be residential growth,” Cr Dudzik said.

The applicant, Darren Rix, is a born and bred Bungaree local and lives on the Bungaree/Wallace Road, and said trucks already use this route.

“This is a farming area and has been for centuries. Transport companies are already using this road. The site is zoned farming, not township as Cr Dudzik puts it,” he told the Moorabool News.

“The road in question is the old Western Freeway and is a VicRoads designated B-Double route already.

“This site has pre-existing commercial industry history and has done for well over 50-years.

“Councillors talk about economic development and jobs, and now they have knocked an opportunity on the head.”

Cr Tatchell said residential developments could not be built there without decontaminating the site first.

“It would be incredibly difficult to remove, especially with leaching…otherwise we’re going to just have a large allotment of land that’s just going to be filled with weeds. I think there are more positives than negatives to this,” he told the meeting.

Cr Tatchell’s motion to approve the site was lost, as only he and Cr Rod Ward voted in favour of it. Cr Dudzik’s motion to refuse the application was seconded by Cr Ally Munari, and approved by all but Cr Tatchell – thus, the application was rejected.

Mr Rix said there are already countless truck movements in the area.

“Residential housing and commercial industry already live side by side, and in Grant Street Bacchus Marsh hundreds of trucks travel directly past the high school.

“Common sense needs to prevail,” Mr Rix concluded.

The site sits 45-metres off the main road; is adjourned by two other commercial premises; the school is approximately 100-metres across the road in an 80kph speed limit,  with the nearest residential house at least 300-400 metres to the west of the site.

The applicant will now take the matter to VCAT.