A MOTION not to continue the remediation of Lot 7 Muchea East Road has been passed by Shire of Chittering council as part of a saga dating back to 2009 searching for ways to activate the unused land.

The motion was an officer recommendation not to proceed with remediation on the lot as the estimated cost did not guarantee increase in commercial value of the land and that the site was not considered to pose safety risks as it is currently inaccessible to the public.

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) have also advised the shire was not obliged to undertake remediation of the land until such time that some form of development or use is proposed which would require it.

The officer recommendation was moved by Shire of Chittering deputy president Mary Angus and seconded by councillor Kylie Hughes, with both speaking in support, though Cr Angus said the decision came with some reservations.

“This plot of land has been coming back before council for nearly 20 years,” she said.

The lot sits as a 3.7ha parcel of land in the freehold ownership of the Shire of Chittering and was a historical gravel quarry as well as a site for the disposal of green waste.

Cr Angus said the site’s current classification as contaminated meant it had no real value in its designated use as parks, recreation and green space.

“I feel that we do have an obligation to the community to not leave it contaminated and locked behind a gate and barb wire fencing for eternity,” she said.

Cr Angus said there was no statutory obligation to remediate at the current stage however delaying action would only increase costs over time.

Councillor Hughes said the decision was straightforward from a financial standpoint, pointing to the significant uncertainty in remediation costings.

“Should we spend approximately $100,000, which could be potentially up to $980,000 given the huge variance in the quotes that we’ve received, when there’s no immediate opportunity to recoup the investment and no pressing community need for that land to be developed or unsold at this time,” she said.

Cr Angus replied and said she hoped the future for the lot did not involve further disuse.

“It would be really sad to find that in another 20 years it’s still behind a barbed wire fence and a locked-up gate,” she said.

The remediation could be revisited in the future if the site would be needed for a commercial proposal or any other purpose.