State government has today provided details of the conditions of the approved planning scheme amendment for the proposed development at Fourth Road, Hazelwood North for the purpose of a Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) Recycling Facility.
Latrobe City Council remains disappointed about the ministerial intervention into this matter under the auspice of the government’s Development Facilitation Program.
Latrobe City Council officers will now review all documentation relating to the approved planning scheme amendment. Council can advise that the requirements the proposal has to adhere to are generally consistent with the conditions recommended by Council officers as per the Special Council Meeting held on 17 September 2020.
After extensive community consultation Council voted to not issue a planning permit application for the ULAB recycling facility at the September Special Council Meeting, due to the overwhelming concerns and feedback from the community.
Council decided that the ULAB Recycling Facility did not meet the requirements of the Latrobe City Planning Scheme. The decision was made on planning grounds, including taking into consideration amenity impacts.
Since receiving advice of the Planning Minister’s decision, Council has sought to ensure that community sentiment relating to the health and environmental impacts of the approved facility have been communicated to government.
Council continues to question the relevance of the Health Innovation Zone in this decision and asks state government to provide clear direction as to what role the Health Innovation Zone has if decisions can be made without consideration of the health and wellbeing outcomes of Latrobe?
Council understands the community’s frustration and disappointment in the decision being made by government without any consultation with Council or the community.
As the responsible officers for ensuring that the legal requirements of the Ministerial approval are fully adhered to by the proponent, Council will focus on full adherence and compliance of the approval if it is acted upon.