RESIDENTS fighting plans for a $55 million “inland port” and rail freight terminal at Altona have applauded a decision by Hobsons Bay council to reject the bid.
Councillors cited concerns about the removal of native grassland, excessive noise and increased truck traffic in residential areas when they knocked the proposal back last month.
The State Government-backed proposal aimed to reduce heavy road traffic between Melbourne’s port and the western suburbs by providing rail links for transporting shipping containers to the inland port.
Avalon is now firming as a likely destination for the facility, with a spokesman for Ports and Roads Minister Tim Pallas saying the government was in talks with Geelong’s council about the project.
Hobsons Bay mayor Bill Baarini said a planning committee of three councillors had weighed the project’s likely economic benefits against the “adverse impact” it would have on the environment and surrounding residents.
Councillors Baarini, Peter Hemphill and Leigh Hardinge decided to reject the application by Salta Constructions for warehouses and a rail terminal on a 51-hectare site near Altona Baseball Stadium.
“The council received eight objections to each application relating to increased noise, traffic, and the negative effects that the proposal would have on the neighbouring environment,” Cr Baarini said.
“Although the proposal had the potential to build on our strong industrial economy, the impact on the environment and the detrimental effect it would have on residents’ quality of life outweighed any possible benefits the proposal could offer.”
Cr Baarini said the project involved removing a “significant amount” of native grassland from the site, which is home to the critically endangered spiny rice flower.
“But the impact had the potential to be much more widespread,” he said.
“The increased truck traffic would have decreased our air quality and housing 10,000 shipping containers at the inland port would be unsightly.”
Hobsons Bay Community First spokesman Tony Briffa welcomed the council’s decision but predicted the matter would be the subject of an appeal at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
“We’ve won the battle but not the war because I imagine the developers will take it to VCAT, seeing as it’s a $55 million project,” Mr Briffa said.
He said the organisation had already spoken to its legal team and vowed to fight any appeal in VCAT.
“We also would expect council to use its own legal team to support its decision,” Mr Briffa said.
Mr Briffa described the comments by Mr Pallas’ spokesman about the possibility of building the facility at Avalon as “bizarre”.
“Why would State Government want to give Altona residents all of this angst when it could be for nothing if Avalon was to become the preferred site?” he asked.
