A proposal to use 35 hectares of land at 425 Riddell Rd as a site to dump clean fill from city construction projects has been made to Hume City Council. The application includes a request to undertake earthworks and remove vegetation.
The application has been made by Hansen Partnership on behalf of landowner Danielle Patterson. The proposal involves the importation of fill from a number of sites, including State government projects, involving 375,000 cubic metres of fill delivered to the site over three years.
To the rear of the site is Blind Creek, with steep escarpments on both sides of the waterway. The proposed clean fill site is located in the Green Wedge Zone of the Hume Planning Scheme. It is also within an area of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Sensitivity and is a designated bushfire prone area.
The company describes the process of establishing a clean fill site as involving the removal of topsoil, the distribution of the fill on the exposed locations, and the (eventual) reapplication of the topsoil on the fill.
The applicant says fill will be “strictly cleaned fill, as per Environment Protection Authority (EPA) guidelines”. Equipment used will include dozer, excavator, watercart and roller.
The application states that two or three people will be on site at any time. Staff facilities will include site sheds, toilets, and machinery. The proposed hours of operation are: Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm; and occasional Saturdays 7am to 1pm.
Applicants states that: “…it is considered that the earthworks can be comfortably located on the land in a way that will not cause significant adverse impacts to the landscape and amenity of the area, nor hydrology, cultural heritage and environmental features of the site.
“The works have been designed in a way that will ensure they follow the existing landform of the site to limit any adverse impacts as a result of the changed topography.”
