It was interesting to hear the arguments put forward at the recent week-long panel hearing, regarding the UNsuitability of the Parkside Gardens site for residential purposes.

If Council gives the developer, VicUrban, the go-ahead for a housing estate at Parkside Gardens then the site will have been declared, technically, safe for housing.
But, would you really want to live there?

It would be unfortunate if future complaints from the residents (who would be seeking weekend relief from the skidpan noise and the smell of burning rubber) were to disadvantage DECA, one of the best and most successful facilities in Shepparton.

There will be the added noise, dust and odours from the waste transfer station, (including the composting facility and the concrete crusher) as well as the dogs barking at the dog pound.

Nearly all of the waterways will be filled in by pushing the land, now built up in the middle of the park, back into the moat. Therefore, many of the houses will be built ON the filled-in moat areas. This is a perfect recipe for structural cracks.

Also, the extra costs of deeper foundations will be a nasty financial surprise for those who innocently bought a block of land without being told how deep the filling is underneath.

Soil testing at the site revealed high levels of toxins and contaminants, IN EXCESS of levels allowed for a RESIDENTIAL development.

They are, arsenic, zinc, sulfate, nickel, and copper. As a result, the expert advice was that some soil will have to be removed to a toxic -dump site and that there was no guarantee that other areas not tested would be free from high levels of contamination.

This will be a serious case of "Buyer Beware" as I think we can safely assume that the above information will not be in the glossy brochures.

Jenny Houlihan