Faraday residents are raising questions over the continued operation of a truck depot despite it having not yet obtained council planning approval, amid fears it’s causing costly road damage and is placing local lives at risk.
Using public question time during last week’s Mount Alexander Shire Council meeting two local residents made separate appearances before the council to raise their concerns about the way in which the Faraday depot has been allowed to continue operating without having gained planning approval.
One long-time Faraday resident called for clarification “as to why the applicant for a truck depot, proposed and currently operating without a permit in Ellerys Road, Faraday, has recently been given yet another extension to provide information to the planning department thus extending the time they may operate without a permit”.
“The council asked them to provide a planning application approximately one-and-a-half years ago,” she told councillors at last week’s July council meeting.
“The business has been operating for years. My family and other objectors to the permit application have expressed many times the concern we have about firstly, the safety of utilising Ellerys Road regularly for large trucks, including B-doubles, and secondly, the extreme wear and tear on the deteriorating gravel road that council has to continually maintain at ratepayers’ expense.
“Could you please explain why a further extension has been given and why the applicant continues to operate without a permit?”
Another local resident who raised concerns said the operation of the depot was “a major safety issue”.
“I don’t understand why you have let them conduct a business for three years plus without a permit,” he said, addressing the council during public question time.
“It destroys the road… A B-double going one way and a resident coming the other is an accident waiting to happen,” he told councillors.
The council’s Director of Infrastructure and Development Michael Annear said the extension had been granted to the end of August after which time the application was expected to go before the council for a decision in September with an objectors’ meeting also scheduled to take place in early September.
“The extension has been granted to complete the collection of information that’s requested by council officers to help put forward a recommendation to council which will then be taken to the council meeting,” Mr Annear said.
Mayor Cr Bill Maltby stated “you can be assured that in September council will make a decision”.