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Out and about
Kristy, Ava and Jack Barrett with Lyn Hellings-Davies and Asher Davies at the Churchill Hotel on Saturday.They were among many people who took advantage of the opportunity to return to pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants throughout the Latrobe Valley at the weekend. FULL STORY - PAGE 5
MEET THE VALLEY’S NEW TOP COP PAGE 7
photograph tessa randello
KNOCKED BACK
By MICHELLE SLATER
LATROBE City Council has rejected Chunxing’s application to build a highly contentious used lead acid battery recycling (ULAB) plant in Hazelwood North after a marathon meeting on Thursday night. Councillors knocked back the planning permit in a motion led by Cr Kellie O’Callaghan, which was supported by six out of nine councillors, after months of strong community objection.
It comes after an original motion was posted to recommend granting a permit based on Latrobe City planning officers’ reports and an EPA works approval. Most councillors spoke passionately against the proposal after listening to concerns from community members, which mainly focused on potential lead contamination. Cr O’Callaghan stated Chunxing’s proposal was an “extremely difficult matter for council to consider, there is no perfect way to manage it�.
However, she also acknowledged that rejecting the application could open up the opportunity for Chunxing to take Latrobe City to the Victorian Civil Appeals Tribunal. “I know I lost sleep over this and I’m sure others will also. But the community has the right to be heard with the right to see what can be developed in the community,� Cr O’Callaghan said. “But our officers will fight this at VCAT. If this is where it ends up, we will fight it.�
Cr O’Callaghan outlined a range of concerns including her mistrust in the company’s own data and regulators’ oversights to manage and measure safety risks. She pointed to the community’s “lived experiences� and the poor health outcomes since the Hazelwood mine fire and contentious planning provisions around zoning for industrial land. Continued on page 2
PUZZLES, BRAIN STRAIN - IT’S TIME TO TAKE A BREAK: PAGE 6
DISPLAYING FOOTY COLOURS PAGE 16
NEW BOOK ON THE GREAT PATROBAS SPORT
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