INNOVA Soil Technology held an open day last Saturday to broach community concerns about the potential permanent de-contamination site.

Three site tours ran during the day at the Dow site in Altona, with 15 residents led on a guided tour around the site.

The Altona Consultative Community Group also held a stall about Innova in Pier St last week.

ACCG member Maureen Short said she was excited at the prospect of the contaminated sites in Hobsons Bay being cleaned.

“(Innova) are very transparent, and I think we can all feel self-assured they can do a great job,” she said.

Another ACCG member, Judy Hyndall, said she had been waiting for the site to be cleaned for 15 years.

“We’ve got really big issues, especially in Hobsons Bay with contaminated sites and I think we need to move forward to protect our kids and grandkids,” she said.

She said the group spoke to about 100 residents who all seemed to be happy for the project to go ahead.

Innova Soil Technology process supervisor Antony Taylor said the main residents’ concerns on the site tours were potential dust and odour, proposed planning aspects of the site as well as transportation of the soil to and from the site.

He said contaminated soil would be contained inside a warehouse, where an extraction unit will collect dust and all air coming out will be through a carbon-built filter to prevent dust leaving the warehouse.

“Transportation was another issue that was raised, all soil would be transported on EPA registered vehicles,” he said.

Councillor Tony Briffa said it was an interesting tour, but still wanted Innova to gain a council planning permit. He said the community was worried about bringing contaminated soil from outside Hobsons Bay into Altona.

Innova will be submitting the EPA works approval this week.



An independent interactive website for the site went live about three weeks ago to allow a forum for residents to voice their concerns and learn about the processes and site.

But Cr Briffa said not all residents had access to the internet, and that there needed to be a “good old-fashioned” forum, to ask questions of the developer.

“If they go through the town planning process, that will involve community consultation as well,” he said.

Mr Taylor said Innova was happy to work with the council and the EPA and was not trying to “bypass” any process, but follow it as they understood it.