Recent Activities

Cease operations / Move elsewhere / Repurpose site /

The Facility has been operating since 1999 without material issues, concerns or complaints. The Facility provides an important community benefit by recycling and allowing the re-use of concrete and rock from the demolition and construction industry that would otherwise require disposal to landfill. The concrete and rock recycling facility also provides an economic benefit to the community by employing staff that live in the City of Brimbank.  Therefore, Barro will continue to operate the Facility once it obtains the appropriate regulatory permissions.

However, Barro acknowledges the Facility operates in proximity to residential areas.  Barro is committed to proactively considering further steps it can take when operating the Facility to mitigate or minimise any risk of harm to the community.

Better communication with community

Barro is establishing a website for the Facility. The website will provide information about the operations of the Facility and can be used to provide updates to the community from time to time.

Manage dust / Wet down dusty surfaces / Do not operate on windy days

Barro implements a Risk Management and Monitoring Plan (RMMP) for the Facility which requires Barro to undertake a number of measures to minimise or avoid impacts to the community from operations at the Facility. For example, Barro currently manages dust by implementing the following controls to minimise the generation and travel of dust outside of the Facility:

·       operating water trucks and automated water sprays throughout the day which wet down stockpiles of both incoming concrete and recycled concrete products for sale;

·       wetting down internal haul roads and external entry roads for all traffic entering and using the Facility;

·       all trucks entering the Site must have a  tarpaulin to cover their respective load before leaving the premises;

·       deployment of a wheel wash for all trucks and vehicles leaving the  Site.

·       PM 10 dust levels are monitored in real-time and Barro is notified of dust levels that exceed threshold limits so that Barro can make changes to operations, including to cease operations.

In response to feedback, Barro has asked an independent technical consultant to review the Dust Management Procedure for the Facility to consider whether there are further practicable measures which can be taken to minimise or avoid impacts to the community.

Limit hours of operation

The Facility is open to sales and receival of concrete between 6am and 4pm Monday to Friday, and 6am to 1pm on Saturdays. Crushing of rock only occurs between 7am and 4pm Monday to Friday (only).

Crushing of concrete and rock to produce saleable products operates on a campaign basis. On a campaign basis means that the Facility crushes on an ‘as needs” basis when stocks of saleable products run low. In total the Facility operates for approximately 5 – 6 months of the year, rather than operating every week of the year.

Barro is not proposing to reduce the hours of operation of the Facility.

Reduce noise, especially at night / Install noise barriers

The Risk Management and Monitoring Plan for the Facility includes an Ambient Sound Management Plan which describes steps that Barro takes to reduce noise produced by the Facility.

One of those steps is to undertake regular noise monitoring at locations around the Site – there are two on Sunshine Avenue and one on Orbital Drive which are chosen because they are likely to be the worst affected if there is noise coming from the Site. The independent technical consultants who undertake sound monitoring at these locations have confirmed that the estimated contribution from the Site complies with the noise limits set by the Victorian regulations.  Therefore, Barro does not consider the installation of new noise barriers are necessary during operation of the Facility.

The Facility does not operate after 4pm on weekdays and after 1pm on Saturdays. Therefore, noise at night is unlikely to be caused by the Facility.

Reduce heavy vehicle movements / Impact on roads

It is not feasible for Barro to reduce heavy vehicle movements because trucks deliver concrete and rock to the Facility to be recycled.  Access to the Site is facilitated by major arterial roads including Sunshine Avenue, Main Road East and the M80 Ring Road that have capacity for heavy vehicle movements. 

Plant trees around perimeter

Barro already has trees planted around the perimeter of the Site. However, Barro will undertake additional tree planting on the perimeter of the Site over the next 6 – 12 months, where practical to do so.

Odour control

The Facility does not undertake operations that produce odour beyond the boundary of the Site (or at all) because incoming rock and concrete are inert materials. Therefore, Barro understands odour related feedback in response to the survey is likely to be linked to concerns about measures taken to remediate hotspots at the landfill, which is a separate activity at the Site.