Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — My constituency question is to the Minister for Planning. My question relates to a very controversial site in Fawkner, which is the old Nufarm factory site. I have had a number of constituents ring me believing that it is filled with carcinogenic chemicals and that it is probably a very unsafe site, so it came as quite a surprise to see that the site was being marketed as a residential development site, particularly seeing as it is still zoned as light commercial. It appears that the land is going to become a residential development at some time — and that is not surprising, given where it is. I am interested to hear from the minister what actions the government is going to take to ensure that the site has been decontaminated and is suitable for residential development.
ANSWER FROM THE MINISTER FOR PLANNING:
The old Nufarm Factory site at 100–102 McBryde Street, Fawkner is currently in an industrial land use zone (Industrial 3 Zone). The site is identified in the Moreland Industrial Land Strategy as land suitable for transitioning into residential. The approved Moreland Planning Scheme Amendment C158 implements the recommendations of Moreland City Council’s industrial strategy through a number of changes to the Municipal Strategic Statement and the Local Planning Policy Framework. Amendment C158 had a full public exhibition and panel hearing process and received a supportive panel report.
Moreland City Council, as the planning authority for any future rezoning of the land, must comply with Ministerial Direction No. 1 on Potentially Contaminated Land.
The council must satisfy itself that the land is suitable for sensitive uses prior to the land being rezoned to residential or a planning approval given for its redevelopment for sensitive uses in accordance with Ministerial Direction No. 1.
Moreland City Council is able to apply an Environmental Audit Overlay over the site should it decide to rezone the land for residential use to ensure that appropriate investigation is undertaken prior to any sensitive use being established on the land.
There is no current planning scheme amendment to rezone the land from its current industrial zoning.
