By NICOLE VALICEK
A TOXIC soil facility that received more than 3000 resident objections has been approved by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Innova Soil Technology was granted approval for a contaminated soil treatment facility on Kororoit Creek Road, Altona.
The facility will treat soil contaminated by hydrocarbons from across the state at the Dow Chemical site. About 3500 residents had signed a petition against Innova’s proposal, which was refused by Hobsons Bay Council.
The site is about a kilometre from Altona homes.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal overturned the council’s refusal on appeal.
Shortly after the news broke, residents took to Facebook to share their objections.
One resident said VCAT would have a lot to answer for when “there are deaths from this contaminated facility and deformities in unborn children”.
“Just dump it in the Western Suburbs … like all the other contaminated stuff that people don’t know about. Makes me SICK!” the post read.
Another resident expressed concerns they would be forced to move and was “disheartened” by the “inappropriate development”.
“I don’t want to move. I love it here but I may have to. I can’t live in a shadow and with toxic air,” the Facebook post said.
One resident on the social networking site said Hobsons Bay had become the “toxic waste and dust capital of Australia”.
Another said they will have to find the best way forward to fight the facility.
Star tried to contact Innova Soil Technology but they did not respond before deadline.
