Latrobe City Council remains frustrated and disappointed by the Planning Minister’s ministerial intervention, which resulted in the approval of the Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling facility at Hazelwood North.
Approved under the auspice of the government’s Development Facilitation Program, the Minister for Planning has written to Council to address the concerns raised and shared by Council and the community.
The Minister responded directly to specific questions raised by Council relating to the Health Innovation Zone.
Council is disappointed that Government describes the designation of Latrobe City as a Health Innovation Zone that is simply ‘intended to drive innovation in the development and delivery of health services and health improvement programs’.
Council asks, how is the government is ensuring it is listening to community concerns on health matters following the Hazelwood Mine Fire?
Given government’s commitment for better health outcomes for the Latrobe community, how is government ensuring that health is adequately considered in development proposals?
Council will continue to ensure that community sentiment relating to the health and environmental impacts of the approved facility, and that of future proposed planning applications, are communicated to government.
If this project is to go ahead, Council’s role moving forward will be to ensure the proponent complies with all of the conditions identified in Amendment C129. The community can be assured that Council, as the planning authority, will proactively ensure the proponent adheres to all conditions.
Last September, after extensive community consultation, Council rejected an application for a planning permit for the ULAB Recycling Facility noting that it did not meet the requirements of the Latrobe City Planning Scheme. At a Special Council meeting in February, Council reconfirmed its stance on the planning permit and stands by its decision.