Brimbank council will appear before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal next month to continue its opposition to the expansion of the Ravenhall tip.
The council lodged an application with VCAT in late 2017 to review the works approval application issued by the Environment Protection Authority to allow the expansion of the landfill site, however on April 10 this year the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) lodged a request to have Brimbank City Council’s case ‘struck out’.
MWRRG is a statutory body responsible for co-ordinating and facilitating the delivery of waste management and resource recovery across metropolitan Melbourne. It will argue Brimbank’s interests are not affected by the tip expansion, that the application is beyond the third party review rights, and that the application is an abuse of process.
Brimbank mayor Margaret Giudice said the council was disappointed with MWRRG, and that council’s application to VCAT should be heard.
“Our community is strongly opposed to the expansion of the Ravenhall tip, as is this council,” Cr Giudice said.
“Council’s legal appeal against the tip is on the grounds that the expansion is contrary to state government policy.
“This is because the expansion will extend the life of the landfill and potentially divert investment from alternative forms of waste disposal and innovation.
“The expansion reinforces Victoria’s reliance on landfills as a method of waste disposal over the long term, which is contrary to future direction for waste management in Victoria.
“Council has had enough of the state government’s continued reliance on landfill as a solution to Melbourne’s waste needs. As a state we need to get serious on sustainable waste and resource recovery technologies.
“The recent budget announcement of $30.4 million over four years from the Sustainability Fund to implement a waste and resource recovery framework is not adequate to bring about real change.”
The case will be heard on June 1.
