Messy business

By Bridget Cook
THE City of Casey has taken its own steps to introduce reverse amenity buffers around two of the city’s landfill sites following no action from the State Government.
At Tuesday night’s Casey planning committee meeting, councillors agreed to put amended development plans for Hampton Park, Lynbrook and Lyndhurst out for public exhibition to introduce reverse amenity buffers.
The amended plans show a 500-metre reverse amenity buffer around the Hallam Road landfill site and a one kilometre reverse amenity buffer generated from Taylors Road landfill site in the City of Greater Dandenong, to land within the City of Casey.
In February this year, councillors resolved to write to the Planning Minister requesting a one-kilometre buffer be established around the Taylors Road landfill site with land within the buffer area subject to obtaining a planning permit for sensitive uses.
Casey acting strategic development manager Kathryn Seirlis said the the council had been advocating for the introduction of reverse amenity buffers for some time to the Planning Minister – but no action had been taken.
“In absence of any action on this matter, the council has decided to amend the Development Plans to show buffers around particular sites to flag that the development of any sensitive land uses, such as for housing, within these buffers is constrained by their continuing operation,” she said.
Councillor Amanda Stapledon, who raised the notice of motion in February calling for the buffer zones, said she was thrilled with the move.
“I’m thrilled that the City of Casey has taken this initiative,” she said.
The amended development plans will be placed on exhibition for a period of two week, and then officers will report back to the council after exhibition.