The site of the proposed expanded metal recycling facility is adjacent to Capital Recycling Solutions proposed waste plant and approved rail freight terminal. Images: Supplied.
Another recycling proposal for Fyshwick is causing sparks to fly with community and business concerns about air pollution, noise and heavy industry creep in the inner south.
Adam Perry’s Access Recycling, a part of the Capital Recycling Solutions consortium planning to develop a waste processing facility on Ipswich street and a recently approved rail freight terminal, wants to upgrade its metal recycling facility next door in Lithgow Street with three new processing machines for crushing and cutting of scrap metal and separating of metal from waste.
It is the latest in a series of proposals for the area bound by Ipswich and Lithgow streets and the rail line that has alarmed some of its business neighbours and the inner south community, and also brings the intensification of use potentially into conflict with the Molonglo Group’s ongoing mixed-use urban renewal development along Dairy Road and urban infill in neighbouring East Lake.
Allbids CEO Rob Evans, whose premises are in nearby Wiluna Street, said Fyshwick businesses would be organising themselves into a new body to lobby government as a result of the multiple recycling proposals and the drift towards heavier industry in the suburb.
He said businesses wanted to know what the planning strategy was for Fyshwick, saying there was a lack of leadership from Planning Minister Mick Gentleman.
Mr Evans said he understood Access Recycling wanting to grow its business but he believed surrounding businesses would be affected, mainly by the inevitable increase in heavy traffic, which would be multiplied if the main waste facility went ahead.
“If you look at the IZ2 zoning it’s all about mixed use and helping each other out and collaborating and you don’t get a better example of businesses that collaborate than what’s happening at Dairy Flat Road and the wonderful development that’s been set up there with breweries and other businesses that feed off each other, and that kind of thing’s happening all over Fyshwick at the moment but the one spanner in the works is that the Government is thinking of allowing a major recycling centre,” he said.
A drawing of processors to be set up on the Fyshwick site from the development application.
Inner South Canberra Community Council chair Marea Fatseas said the recycling proposals were raised at a public forum about urban infill on Tuesday night where a motion was passed calling for an independent review of CRS’s Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed waste plant to examine any potential health impacts.
She said that given the number of public representations about the EIS, which is still being assessed, the meeting believed there should be an independent process similar to the one for the aborted Hume waste to fuel facility proposal.
Ms Fatseas said the open-air metal processing proposal could also pose health dangers with particulates blown towards surrounding businesses, proposed development at East Lake only 300 metres away, the Dairy Road Precinct and the Southside Village caravan park 500 metres away.
She said there seemed to be a planning conflict between future urban infill at East Lake and allowing heavier industry at neighbouring Fyshwick.
“The question is what is the Government’s plan for that area – are they really thinking about putting more people along that corridor?” Ms Fatseas said.
She said there needed to be a more holistic approach that was fair to all parties. “We expect the Government to provide a policy framework that will provide greater certainty for both industry and the community about where it’s appropriate to put what kind of development,” Ms Fatseas said.
Access Recycling’s development application says the proposal will have environmental and economic benefits, with limited traffic, noise and dust impacts. Although the proposal expands the use of the site, the DA says the overall volume of scrap processed will not increase. A wall will mitigate noise and there will be a hardstand and vacuum technology to prevent dust and windblown debris, it says.
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