WHITEHORSE City Council will ask Maroondah Council to support its bid to move scrap metal plant CMA Recycling from its current site as soon as possible.
At its recent council meeting, Whitehorse voted to seek Maroondah's help in lobbying the state government to either buy or lease the site in Heatherdale Road, Ringwood, and create a 'park and ride' car park for commuters using Heatherdale station.
The factory is on the Maroondah side of the Whitehorse-Maroondah border and has frustrated residents with noise and dust pollution caused by a large metal shredder.
Whitehorse councillor Ben Stennett said the council wanted to work with Maroondah and have a say on what the future of the site should be.
In May, CMA released a statement advising it intended to move its Ringwood shredder to a new site, most likely in Dandenong.
The statement said it would take two and a half to three years to relocate the shredder as it was a "complex and difficult process".
Cr Stennett said he hoped Whitehorse and Maroondah could lobby the state government to add further pressure for the move to go through.
"The noise is impacting and affecting our residents and we're aware of the community angst. The industry is wrong for the area," he said.
Maroondah Council chief executive officer Frank Dixon said the council has not had any discussion with Whitehorse on the issue and therefore he would not comment. "If Whitehorse is keen to see this take place, they may wish to take the matter up directly with the state government," Mr Dixon said.
Asked what Maroondah thought was the best use for the site, Mr Dixon said the "council would seek to encourage land uses such as warehouses and offices that, while commercial in nature, historically have fewer amenity impacts".
Last week, the Weekly reported on the strict operational guidelines CMA was being forced to comply with following a decision by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.