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Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria received a works approval application from Regional Livestock Exchange (RLX) Operating Company P/L on 16 January 2015. The proposal is to relocate the Central Victoria Livestock Exchange (CVLX) from its existing site in central Ballarat to a proposed site in Miners Rest with a design throughput of approximately 1.6 million sheep and 70,000 cattle a year.
The works approval application is accompanied by a planning scheme amendment. Both applications were jointly advertised in the Herald Sun and Ballarat Courier newspapers on Wednesday, 11 February 2015. The combined applications were on public exhibition between 12 February and 20 March 2015. There were also two open house information sessions on 2 and 3 March 2015 at the Ballarat Turf Club, Miners Rest, which EPA attended.
EPA response to public submissions
Between the commencement of the public exhibition on 12 February 2015 and June 2015, EPA received approximately 180 submissions through Ballarat City Council and one from the Department of Health and Human Services. Key environmental issues raised through the submissions and the public open house were about the odour, noise, surface water and groundwater impacts of the proposal.
After reviewing the submissions, EPA identified a number of outstanding environmental issues and subsequently issued a notice to the applicant (under section 22 of the Environment Protection Act 1970) on 17 April 2015, requesting further information. Key requirements were to require the proponent to provide further information by 30 April 2015, which mainly related to stormwater management and management of wastewater and reuse.
Responses from the proponent:
EPA submission to the panel
A joint planning panel and s20B conference was held to hear the concerns of the submitters between 22 June and 7 July 2015. EPA provided a submission (PDF 979KB) to the panel.
The panel has prepared a conference report (PDF 943KB) with recommendations to be considered by EPA.
Status of the application and works approval decision
Considering the panel’s recommendations, on 1 October 2015 EPA issued another s22 notice requesting RLX to provide further information to address issues raised in the conference report.
On 20 May 2016, EPA received RLX’s responses to the s22 notice, together with other relevant information associated with the proposal:
- Odour impact assessment – works approval application technical assessment (ERM, May 2016)
- EPA works approval – acoustical assessment report (SLR, May 2016)
- Wastewater and solid waste management (Geolyse, May 2016)
- Effluent management system (Geolyse, May 2016)
- Stormwater management plan (Geolyse, May 2016)
All these documents form part of the works approval application. EPA has emailed these reports to the submitters who provided submissions to the planning panel last year. The closing date for comments is 16 June 2016.
Please note we will forward the comments we receive to RLX for its consideration and responses.
Subsequently, EPA will make a decision that considers the additional information, public comments and RLX’s responses to public comments. EPA will assess the proposed development’s compliance with the Environment Protection Act, state environment protection policies, or other policies and guidelines.
If you wish to speak to EPA about the works approval application, please contact Wendy Tao or Ruby Shao in our Development Assessment Unit on 1300 372 842 (1300 EPA VIC).
However, if you wish to know about the planning scheme amendment, please contact Jessie Keating, Coordinator Strategic Land Use Planning at the City of Ballarat, on 03 5320 5580 or jessiekeating@ballarat.vic.gov.au, or visit the council website.
Supporting documents
Orginal works approval application documents
Submitted in January 2015: