Environment Effects Act 1978 Planning and Environment Act 1987 Environment Effects Statement Inquiry and Panel Report Palmers Road Corridor 23 December 2015 Environment Effects Act 1978 Inquiry pursuant to Section 9 of the Act Planning and Environment Act 1987 Melton Planning Scheme Amendment C143 Brimbank Planning Scheme Amendment C157 23 December 2015 Con Tsotsoros, Chair John Hartigan, Member Ian Harris, Member Environment Effects Statement Inquiry and Panel Report Palmers Road Corridor 23 December 2015 Contents Page Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ iii 1.1 Findings .................................................................................................................... iv 1.2 Recommendations .................................................................................................. iv PART A: BACKGROUND AND INQUIRY PROCESS .............................................................. 1 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 2 1.1 The Inquiry ............................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Planning Scheme Amendments .............................................................................. 2 1.3 Purpose of this report ............................................................................................. 3 1.4 Procedural matters .................................................................................................. 3 1.5 Site inspection ......................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Structure of this report ........................................................................................... 4 2 The Proposal ............................................................................................................... 5 2.1 The project area and surrounds .............................................................................. 5 2.2 The project .............................................................................................................. 6 2.3 Relevant alternatives ............................................................................................... 6 3 Inquiry approach to assessment of effects .................................................................. 8 3.1 Draft evaluation objectives ..................................................................................... 8 3.2 Evaluation framework ............................................................................................. 9 3.3 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 9 4 Legislative and Policy Framework ............................................................................. 10 4.1 Legislation .............................................................................................................. 10 4.2 Project approvals ................................................................................................... 11 4.3 State and Local Planning Policy ............................................................................. 11 PART B: ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT .................................................... 14 5 Road safety and capacity .......................................................................................... 15 5.1 The issues .............................................................................................................. 15 5.2 EES documentation ............................................................................................... 15 5.3 Overall Assessment ............................................................................................... 16 5.4 Road category and speed limit .............................................................................. 17 5.5 Six lanes in Calder Park Drive section .................................................................... 19 5.6 Shared path on both sides in Calder Park Drive section ....................................... 20 5.7 Findings .................................................................................................................. 21 5.8 Recommendation .................................................................................................. 21 6 Amenity and environmental quality .......................................................................... 22 6.1 The issue ................................................................................................................ 22 6.2 EES documentation ............................................................................................... 22 6.3 Noise impacts ........................................................................................................ 23 6.4 Landscaped mound adjacent to Albert Road ........................................................ 25 6.5 Air Quality .............................................................................................................. 26 6.6 Findings .................................................................................................................. 27 6.7 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 27 Environment Effects Statement Inquiry and Panel Report Palmers Road Corridor 23 December 2015 7 Social, land use and infrastructure ............................................................................ 28 7.1 The issue ................................................................................................................ 28 7.2 EES documentation ............................................................................................... 28 7.3 Calder Park Motor Sports Centre and Calder Park industrial site ......................... 29 7.4 Sydenham area ...................................................................................................... 32 7.5 Intersection design at Calder Park Drive/Hume Drive .......................................... 33 7.6 Deer Park service station site ................................................................................ 34 7.7 Burnside Retirement Village .................................................................................. 35 7.8 Burnside Hub Activity Centre ................................................................................ 36 7.9 Findings .................................................................................................................. 37 7.10 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 38 8 Visual and landscape values ...................................................................................... 39 8.1 The issue ................................................................................................................ 39 8.2 EES documentation ............................................................................................... 39 8.3 Evidence and submissions ..................................................................................... 40 8.4 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 41 8.5 Findings .................................................................................................................. 42 8.6 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 42 9 Biodiversity and habitat ............................................................................................ 43 9.1 The issue ................................................................................................................ 43 9.2 EES documentation ............................................................................................... 43 9.3 Evidence and submissions ..................................................................................... 45 9.4 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 45 9.5 Findings .................................................................................................................. 47 9.6 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 47 10 Catchment values ..................................................................................................... 48 10.1 The issue ................................................................................................................ 48 10.2 EES documentation ............................................................................................... 48 10.3 Evidence and submissions ..................................................................................... 49 10.4 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 49 10.5 Findings .................................................................................................................. 50 10.6 Recommendation .................................................................................................. 50 11 Cultural heritage ......................................................................................................