By Violet Li
As the Stevensons Brothers Industries (SBI) landfill has been a concern in the community since mid-2022 and its proposed planning permit amendment has yet to be decided, Star News spoke to Cranbourne Gardens Ward candidates on their attitudes towards the landfill.
Star News reported in early March this year that residents expressed concerns that the operator’s proposed amendments to its planning permit would increase traffic, dust, and stormwater runoff into nearby neighbourhoods.
SBI lodged an application to amend its permit in late February in response to a Planning Contravention Notice issued by the council on 11 January 2023, which indicated that certain site activities and operations were not in compliance with approved plans and that required documents had not been satisfactorily prepared.
Tamas Kapitany said anything that impacted air quality for residents should be shut down.
“It cannot be contained,” he said.
“As to wheel wash reduction, it needs to be a permanent procedure applied to all truck movements regardless of weather. The issue really is finding other sites somewhat local that can be used in a similar manner without impacting local residents.
“I live in the area impacted by the SBI landfill and share the concerns of local residents about the odours emitted and silica dust migration into our neighbourhood.”
Michelle Crowther said she would strongly for the community that additional planning permit amendments should not be approved until the current issues were resolved and odour pollution was better managed.
“I live down the road from SBI and I have been following EPA’s investigations and the numerous shutdowns,” she said.
“I have also consulted with community members and have even logged multiple smell tickets myself with EPA.
“The entire circumstances are awful and the stress, medical issues and loss of property value that residents have experienced is a concern.”
Mary Beth Melton said she would be doing all she could to assist residents to become free of the awful smells they had to endure, and she would be looking into the circumstances in which additional permits were being approved by Casey Council.
“Despite EPA maintaining how cooperative SBI has been, they are not compliant with the requirements of the permits, and the odours remain, despite the burner installation, and despite the installation of detectors to sense the odours,” she said.
“I am getting a lot of requests for support from special interest groups and requests for my position on various political issues, but this is a local issue of deep importance to residents and something I am highly committed to following up on and finding a suitable long-term solution.
“I have not been satisfied with what the EPA and council have done to date, as it has taken far too long for SBI to be allowed to be compliant with their initial permit, and we have failed to hold them to account.”
The EPA and SBI Landfill recently settled a case in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
As part of it, SBI is to engage a suitably qualified independent professional to establish an education and training program concerning SBI’s responsibilities under the Environment Protection Act.
“The odour management system that was fast tracked to resolve the odour generated by the February 2022 firewater which, under EPA approval, was transferred into Cell 1, remains with EPA after multiple submissions by SBI, to clarify the systems design intent,” SBI said in a statement on their website on 22 August.
“In the interim, SBI continue to monitor, manage and mitigate under existing protocols. SBI appeal to the community to report offsite impacts believed to be attributable to SBI, directly to SBI, to facilitate actions, if required, by SBI. Community reports submitted to EPA, remain with EPA, creating a break in the line of communication, which directly impacts any possible action by SBI.”
