The ACT government is planning to shut down the West Belconnen tip, where many of the former Mr Fluffy houses have been dumped, by 2021 at the latest, new planning documents show.
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While hundreds of former houses affected by the Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos have been disposed of at the tip, the actual asbestos was sealed in bins and sent to the Mugga Lane tip, though traces elements may remain at West Belconnen.
On Thursday, the government issued a technical amendment to the Territory Plan detailing the planned closure, and moving the composting heaps at the tip to the northwestern corner of the block to allow for Ginninderry stage two to go ahead.
While a 1 kilometre clearance zone is around the existing tip, at the southern end of the block, that zone is largely due to odour emitting from the compost, and will remain in place, though moved given the composting heap will be moved.
"The ACT government proposes to close all waste disposal operations on the site by 2021 and thereafter remediate and determine the suitability of the site for subsequent uses," the technical amendment reads.
"The green waste clearance zone identified in the West Belconnen concept plan ... impacts on areas proposed for the second stage of the Ginninderry estate development.
"For this proposal to proceed, it is necessary to revise the clearance zone around the green waste facility."
But the document shows the residual activities of receiving the green waste and shredding it, which occurs near the edge of stage two homes, will stay in place, and a smaller 300 metre clearance zone will be put in place around it.
The clearance zone around the shredder is largely due to potential noise and dust, but is not expected to generate significant odour, the document says.
The amendment also shows that the current clearance zone around the composting site will remain in place until such time as the site is moved, at which time the new zone will be in force immediately, so there is no gap in the buffer protections.
While the technical amendment was contingent on Planning Minister Mick Gentleman's approval of an environmental impact statement exemption, that exemption was approved last month.
The amendment also shows the territory's environmental protection authority has endorsed the proposal to move the composting and clearance zone, with an excerpt of the authority's advice saying any outstanding contamination issues would be resolved through the planning delivery process.
The planned closure date of by 2021 has been set partly as the government lease of the block to Canberra Sand and Gravel to operate the tip expires that year, and will not be renewed at the site, given part of the site is earmarked for eventual residential development.
Yass Valley Council also lodged no objection to the site, as it was on the NSW border, given the lease expires in 2021 and any proposed development associated with Ginnninderry was not proposed to reach NSW until 2032.
