By ALESHA CAPONE
MORE than 300 objections have been lodged against a planning permit which would allow hazardous gas to be used a few hundred metres from homes and a kindergarten in Spotswood.
Last week Hobsons Bay City Council reported they have received 301 objections to the plan which is seeking permission to use 407 Douglas Parade for shipping container storage.
Container Fumigation Services (CFS) also wants to fumigate the containers prior to unpacking them.
The containers would be decontaminated with methyl bromide which has been linked to respiratory, kidney and neurological problems.
After the planning permit was advertised around 200 residents staged a protest alongside Williamstown MP Wade Noonan.
The Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme has a clause which requires a buffer distance of 1000 metres between biocide producers and residential areas.
In a letter to the council, Mr Noonan said the CFS application showed homes are located approximately 250 metres to the south of the site.
“Approximately 500 metres from the site and still well within the 1000-metre threshold is the council’s Home Road Kindergarten,” Mr Wade wrote.
The council’s planning and environment director, Peter Gaschk, said the application was being reviewed by planning officers.
“Following public consultation, a large number of submissions were received, predominantly regarding the health of nearby residents to the site,” he said.
“Officers are waiting for further specialist advice from the Environment Protection Authority and WorkSafe regarding the use and storage of methyl bromide on the site and its potential impact on the surrounding areas.
“Once the information has been received and further assessed, a report will be put to the Council’s Special Planning Committee for consideration.”
At last Tuesday’s council meeting Cr Angela Altair said officers would take the health risks associated with methyl bromide into account when considering their report.
