Last year Kingston Council made an important step towards phasing out landfills and waste management facilities in our Green Wedge by commencing Planning Scheme Amendment C143 to rezone land in the northern part of Kingston’s Green Wedge - the land north of Kingston and Heatherton Roads.

Council’s proposal would introduce a Green Wedge A Zone that prohibits new materials recycling facilities, including concrete crushers which Kingston has strongly opposed. The Green Wedge Plan reinforces the importance of phasing out of existing waste management facilities in the Green Wedge.

The planning proposal was drafted following extensive community consultation and was subject to review by an Independent Planning Panel. Council carefully considered the Panel’s feedback and in May adopted many of its recommendations. Council is now seeking final approval of its Amendment from the Minister for Planning.

Having developed the Kingston Green Wedge Plan and now adopted its Planning Scheme Amendment, Council has also made very clear its opposition to Kingston’s Green Wedge area being identified as a site for a future waste hub, as outlined in the Draft State Government Waste Agency Strategies.

Kingston Council is taking strong action to provide certainty for the community who have for too long put up with living with dust and odour in their neighbourhoods.

Council’s long-held vision has been to phase out waste management activities in Kingston’s Green Wedge and we are taking critical steps to do so.

AND OPPOSING THE WASTE HUB

Phasing out landfills in Kingston’s Green Wedge

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Landfills and waste management facilities in Kingston’s Green WedgeOver many previous years Kingston has had over 30 active landfill sites. Today only a few landfills remain open and importantly, three major landfills in Kingston are set to close soon.

If the Minister for Planning approves our Proposed Planning Scheme Amendment (C143) then we can close the door on any new facilities opening up in Kingston and phase out any undesirable uses which are inconsistent with our Green Wedge Plan.

The map below highlights the landfills and significant waste management facilities recently closed and those that remain in operation in the area covered by Amendment C143.

For more information see kingston.vic.gov.au/greenwedge

Amendment C143 area Kingston’s Green Wedge

closed landfill active landfill household waste landfill due to close soon

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F A I R B A N K R O A D

Carroll Road landfill DUE TO CLOSE AUGUST 2015

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K I N G S T O N R O A D

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Elder Street landfill CLOSED

Victory Road landfill ACTIVE

Fraser Road landfill DUE TO CLOSE JULY 2017

Clayton Road landfill CLOSED

Kingston Road landfill ACTIVE

Henry Street landfill CLOSED

Clayton Regional landfill DUE TO CLOSE JUNE 2016

Concrete crusher and refuse transfer station ACTIVE Ryans Road landfill

CLOSED

Deals Road landfill CLOSED

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ADCleanfill and refuse transfer station

ACTIVE

Enhancing the presentation of the Green Wedge.A key part of Council’s plans for Kingston’s Green Wedge includes ensuring old landfills and waste management facilities are rehabilitated and ultimately turned into parkland. This project will be progressed over the coming decades but will eventually create a ‘Chain of Parks’ that links Karkarook Park through to Braeside Park.

Council is set to take the first step to realise the ‘Chain of Parks’ by committing $750,000 in the 2015-16 Budget on a trail to link Karkarook Park to Clayton Road, with the project planned around the current Dingley Bypass construction works.

Council also has plans that outline a series of walking and cycling connections to and within the Green Wedge. These connections will be developed in line with the Chain of Parks concept.

Council is working on identifying where the upgrade or creation of new trails will provide the broadest community benefit.

The Dingley Bypass will have a shared bicycle and footpath along the 6.4km length of the road.

The Chain of Parks development plan proposes central pedestrian and bicycle trails over a 10km length of linked paths with secondary trails and links to the surrounding communities.

A Horse Trail Demand and Feasibility Investigation has recently been completed by Council identifying actions that may be undertaken by Council to support equestrian activities.

The result of this project outlines the number of horses and riders in the area and also identifies some opportunities to explore additional equestrian opportunities in the Kingston Green Wedge.

Walking and cycling paths

Horse riding trails

Over the past 12 months 4,600 plants have been planted along:

• Kingston Rd - west of Old Dandenong Rd

• Heatherton Rd - east of Clayton Rd

• Clayton Rd - north of Heatherton Rd

• Boundary Rd - north of Old Dandenong Rd

• Boundary Rd - Old Dandenong Rd to Centre Dandenong Rd

• several sites along Old Dandenong Rd

A total of $350,000 was allocated to the plantings for planning and ongoing maintenance of the plants for a period of two years.

Tree plantings

Tip odour update The landfills that continue to operate today can produce odour. High rainfall and cool still nights can also lead to an increase in odour.

What can you do to help reduce the odour problems today?It is really important that when residents and businesses notice a change in the odour that those problems are reported to the Environmental Protection Agency EPA Victoria (EPA), which is the head government agency.

The EPA has a key role in protecting the community from odour pollution and responding to odour pollution complaints from the community.

Kingston Council strongly encourages the community to report any and all odour problems to the EPA - they need you to do your bit so that they can deliver on their responsibilities.

What can the EPA Victoria do to reduce odour problems?The EPA is the only agency with the power to issue and enforce licences to landfill operators.

The EPA can only act with strong evidence so it is vitally important to report odour directly to the EPA so action and enforcement of tip licences can occur. The more reports the EPA gets from Victorians affected by odour in a particular area, the greater chance of confirming the right source and doing something about it.

Where to report odour pollution To report odour pollution please call the EPA’s 24-hour Pollution Hotline on 1300 EPA VIC ( 1300 372 842). Recording and reporting odour pollution helps the EPA to detect problems and enforce the law.

Residents concerned about odour coming from the TPI site in Clayton South can also call TPI’s 24-hour hotline on 1800 213 753.

Further information

Please visit kingston.vic.gov.au or call 1300 653 356

PO BOX 1000 MENTONE VIC 3194T 1300 653 356

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