EXTENSIVE land filling will be taking place on the west of Wright Rd in Keilor Park, but workers will have to proceed with caution.
An Aboriginal and Cultural Historical Assessment has indicated that the site may contain some items of Aboriginal cultural significance.
But according to a delegate report tabled at Brimbank City Council’s meeting last Tuesday, it is “generally expected that any Aboriginal significance would be concentrated towards the Maribyrnong River”, which forms the site’s western boundary.
The council approved the planning permit application by Kearney and Tyrrell Surveying. Horseshoe Bend Ward Councillor Kathryn Eriksson said she was satisfied that the conditions that came with the permit were sufficiently stringent.
“In the process of subsurface testing in April this year … some 64 sites were dug down to the ground to virgin soil, and from those, they picked out 51 chipped stone items,” she said.
“So on the basis of that, one of the recommendations was to go to the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council to get a Consent to Disturb, and this was granted.”
Some of the 15 conditions contained in the permit include proper documentation of all artefacts, excavation across the site before beginning ground-disturbing earthworks, and supervision by an archaeologist and Wurundjeri representative when those earthworks are being carried out.
“I’m really happy about that … that they are actually undertaking this work and they have the consent of the Wurundjeri council,” Cr Eriksson said.
Brimbank has a rich Aboriginal cultural heritage, and 184 Aboriginal cultural and archaeological sites were recorded within Brimbank in 1997.
Five areas in particular have been identified as having high significance for Aboriginal heritage values.
They are Organ Pipes National Park Area, Jacksons Creek Area, Green Gully Area and Kororoit Creek in St Albans and Deer Park.
