Clean fill dumping in the green wedge could soon be regulated if a proposed amendment to the Nillumbik Shire Planning Scheme is successful.
At Council's request, the Victorian Planning Minister has authorised the preparation of Amendment C131Nill to the Planning Scheme to seek to regulate earthworks in the green wedge.
There is currently no one provision in Victorian Planning Schemes to regulate the deposit of clean fill on land, particularly in the peri-urban areas of Melbourne.
Amendment C131, which applies to the Green Wedge Zone and Rural Conservation Zone, requires a permit for earthworks involving the receipt, importation, stockpiling or placement of more than 100 cubic metres of fill.
The amendment is now on public exhibition on Council's Participate Nillumbik website (link will be inserted here) where submissions can be made until 3 June 2021.
Nillumbik Mayor Peter Perkins said the large-scale dumping of clean fill had become a significant issue across the Shire as seen more recently in Chapel Lane, Doreen.
"This is also an issue faced by many peri-urban councils across Melbourne, who are watching this closely," Cr Perkins said.
"If successful we will be only the second council to have a mechanism to control earthworks in the Green Wedge – Hume Council was the first.
"I would like to reassure landowners that the amendment will not interfere with normal farming practices that generally involve less than 100 cubic metres of fill, but will give Council greater powers to regulate large-scale soil dumping in our beloved Green Wedge."
Bunjil Ward Councillor Karen Egan said clean-fill dumping had been a problem in the Shire for more than a decade.
"Residents deserve better and now something is finally being done to address this serious issue," Cr Egan said.
"This is to stop the dumping of soil on the scale of up to 300 trucks a day.
"It isn't about landowners who are filling in a swimming pool or similar. It's about looking after the land and the environment, as well as all our residents."
Sugarloaf Ward Councillor Ben Ramcharan said he had received many complaints about soil dumping.
"This is about taking a stand and saying it's not what we want in our Green Wedge Shire. We know our community loves the green wedge and wants to protect it."
To view the amendment and for information on how to make a submission, go to Participate Nillumbik
