Some specific land uses and circumstances require special consideration during planning because of greater potential risk of harm to human health and the environment. However responsible authorities and applicants should be able to address most risks without needing to refer to us.
Development near landfills
Landfills are part of Victoria’s waste management infrastructure. They're used for wastes that cannot be practically removed from the waste stream.
Operating landfills can discharge landfill gas, offensive odour, noise, litter and dust. Closed landfills can continue to discharge landfill gas long after they’ve stopped operating.
Landfill buffers play an important role in managing these risks. Our Landfill buffer guidelines set out the requirements for establishing buffers around landfills.
Our Local council self-assessment tool for closed landfill environmental risk is for councils to identify and understand the risks associated with closed landfills in their municipalities.
For more information on the impact of landfills and how they are regulated, visit Landfills.
Broiler farms
Broiler farms raise chickens for meat. Like other intensive animal industries, they can impact nearby residents with odour, dust and noise. Although the majority of community concerns and complaints relate to odour, other pollution risks associated with broiler farms exist.
Responsible authorities must notify us for applications to use or develop land:
- to establish a new special class broiler farm, or
- where a new farm forms a cluster of broiler farms.
For more information on managing risk, visit Agriculture industry.
Composting facilities
Although composting green waste is an important part of Victoria’s waste management strategy, it does have environmental impacts. The effects of industrial composting may include:
- offsite odour emissions
- impacts to air, land and groundwater.
Planning for composting facilities needs to reduce risks so far as reasonably practicable. This includes appropriate separation distances between composting facilities and sensitive land uses.
For more information, visit:
Concrete batching plants
Concrete batching facilities need to be close to construction activities because concrete is a perishable product.
However, emissions from these facilities can impact residential or commercial land uses if not sited appropriately. Potential risks include:
- dust
- noise
- polluted wastewater
- leaks or spills from chemical storage
- waste management.
Refer to our guidance for concrete batching:
- Assessing an application for a concrete batching plant
- Reducing risk in the premixed concrete industry.
For more information on managing risk, visit Construction industry.
Food and beverage
Food and beverage production has potential risks to human health and the environment.
Odour is the most reported pollution type associated with food and beverage production. Other environmental risks include:
- food waste
- leaks and spills to stormwater and sewerage
- smoke and other air emissions.
Best practice design and operation of facilities can minimise many of the potential impacts.
Refer to our guidance Assessing an application for a food or beverage production facility.
Service stations
As well as transferring, storing and dispensing fuel, many service stations now handle and sell food and drink. Some also have a car wash and mechanics. All these services have the potential to cause risks, such as:
- odour
- noise
- contaminated land and groundwater
- contaminated stormwater
- wastewater
- litter
- contamination from underground petroleum storage systems (UPSS).
Contamination from former service station sites is a common issue. It's usually caused by leaking underground petrol storage tanks. Most former service station sites will need an environmental audit before they can be redeveloped.
Best practice design and operation of service stations can minimise many environmental risks.
Shooting ranges
There are many contaminants at shooting ranges from the use of ammunition. Lead is found at shooting ranges in the highest levels because it makes up the largest part of most ammunition.
For guidance for land use planners on the potential land contamination risks associated with shooting ranges, refer to Planning guidance: Managing the risk of contamination at shooting ranges.
For information about how to manage the risks from shooting ranges, visit Contaminated land from shooting ranges.
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