By Briar Sinclair
THE Federation Trail bike track will run alongside an industrial area in Laverton North industries despite objections from the industries concerned.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) last week recommended a permit should be issued for the track, which will run behind the Laverton North industrial area and along a historic outfall sewer.
Peerless Holdings, Smorgon Steel and Parkhurst Chemicals took Wyndham City Council to VCAT in October, citing security and safety concerns.
However, VCAT members Phillip Martin and Sylvia Mainwaring dismissed landowners’ concerns about a potential security risk, saying the three-metre high Colorbond fencing proposed for the track would be adequate.
“We are of the view that the use of the trail by cyclists and pedestrians provides an additional degree of surveillance to the rear of the properties,” the members wrote.
“In any event, in our view if a party wished to breach the security of the rear of either Smorgons or Peerless at present there is little to prevent them from doing so.”
The VCAT members ruled safety issues raised by the companies were unfounded.
However, they said interpretive signs should be installed in the area, alerting track users to potential odours, dust and noise from the industries.
VCAT rejected two alternative routes proposed by consultants commissioned by the Werribee Industrial Liaison Development (WILD) committee.
The alternative tracks would have run along the freeway, but VCAT said both Bicycle Victoria and WorkSafe Victoria supported the original sewer route.
After the decision, WILD chairman Barry Harvey repeated past statements that local industry had never been against the Federation Trail’s construction.
“VCAT made their decision for the trail to go through the Laverton North industrial estate and, as we have said before, it isn’t the path we believe they should take.
“It should have been around the area we proposed in the first place.
“We will be carefully monitoring the fencing and screening of the bike path and will also be looking at the way the bike trail is maintained because we understand the original design with landscaping and signage has been significantly reduced and the overall funding has also been significantly reduced.”
A VicRoads spokeswoman said all parties were given the opportunity to provide the tribunal with written submissions within 14 days and both the applicants and VicRoads had done so.
“While VicRoads are keen to award the contract as soon as possible, an announcement on the contractor will be made after the finalisation of this matter,” she said.
