Cranbourne landfill operator SBI has been granted a stay of EPA's licence suspension decision by VCAT. EPA Victoria had suspended its licence earlier this month, after repeated alleged breaches of its licence.
SBI appealed the suspension and while a final decision is likely to be released in April next year, this stay gives SBI the right to operate until a full hearing can be held.
"EPA opposed the granting of a stay of the suspension decision and put a strong case forward about protecting the local community from harms caused at the site, but VCAT has granted one which effectively puts the suspension on hold until its broader merits can be decided in some months' time," said EPA CEO Lee Miezis.
"The step to suspend SBI's licence was taken to ensure SBI would concentrate solely on fixing the issues that are still allowing odour to impact on the Cranbourne community. The VCAT decision means SBI can now continue landfill operations at the Cranbourne West inert landfill but must operate in accordance with Victoria's Environment Protection Act 2017. Our notices will ensure that remediation of the factors causing the odour still need to be acted on."
EPA expects all landfill operators to comply in full with all regulatory obligations.
