Warrnambool business Cleanaway wins approval to operate 24 hours

In December last year councillors went against a recommendation from officers to approve the plan, siding with the 33 objectors who opposed the extended operating hours.

It is the second decision of council to be overturned by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal recently with councillors' decision to go against officers' recommendations on a proposed Telstra tower at Bushfield also overturned.

The VCAT decision allows the business to operate 24-hours a day but with some conditions about storage and where trucks can enter the premises after hours.

Vehicles accessing the site between 10pm and 5am must only do so from the west, and the volume of trucks' reversing signals limited.

A condition - first imposed to protect the nearby Sunday markets - about when putrescible waste can be stored on site will largely remain unchanged under the new permit.

Objectors failed to persuade the tribunal the amenity of the nearby residential area would be adversely affected by the increased operating hours.

The tribunal found it may result in a "modest" number of extra trucks at night, but it wasn't appropriate to prevent additional traffic because it would potentially limit the ability of new industries to establish or existing ones to expand.

Cr Richard Ziegeler, who had put forward an alternative motion at the December meeting to reject the request, said the increased use of the site would be an "unreasonable imposition" on residents.

He said it went against the original intention for the site.

Cr Vicki Jellie had told the meeting movement of large vehicles in the night - beeping, disruptions out of hours - was not good for residents.

The proposal had caused angst in the community with a fiery exchange breaking out when about 15 objectors met with council representatives about the site in July 2022.

Concerns raised by objectors included noise, smell, traffic, littering and health.

"I'm really concerned about the noise because at night this is a really peaceful area," one resident said.

"I'm also concerned about the waste that blows all over this park. On Clean Up Australia Day we got 10-12 huge bags of waste and it's filthy.

"I walk here every day, I've found dirty vomit bags that have been squashed, blood-covered polystyrene, filthy plastic - whatever comes just blows all over this park. Children play here, it's a health hazard."

A spokesman representing the company had said the purpose of the planning permit amendment was to allow contractors - not public patrons - to operate and visit the site around the clock.

Items processed at the site include general waste including mattresses, furniture, tyres, oil, polystyrene, glass, cardboard and paper, e-waste, flouro lights, green waste, timber, plaster and any combination of soil, sand, bricks, concrete, tiles and rocks.

A Cleanaway spokesperson said trucks that were accessing or exiting the Warrnambool transfer station before 5am must only do so from the western side of the site.

"This means that truck movements are through heavy industry and are not impacting residential areas," he said.

"The Warrnambool transfer station provides an essential service to the local community.

"It is open to the public from 8.30am to 4.30am Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday."

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