Community groups have congratulated City of Casey planning director James Collins on his appointment as the new CEO of Cardinia Shire Council, though many remain critical of the approval of the controversial Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station, which occurred under his leadership as Director of City Planning and Infrastructure.
It was revealed last week that Mr Collins would be appointed on 13 October for a five-year contract as the new CEO of Cardinia Shire.
Mr Collins, who has overseen Casey’s City Planning and Infrastructure department for the past six years since 2019, spent most of his tenure working under the oversight of State Government-appointed administrators following the dismissal of Casey’s councillors in 2020.
During his term in the City of Casey, he guided the city through rapid population growth, delivering infrastructure upgrades, and leading regional collaborations on housing, transport and waste initiatives.
Residents point to the November 2024 planning approval of the proposed Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station — granted just days before newly elected councillors were sworn in — as the most significant decision under his leadership.
The EPA later deemed the project to pose “an unacceptable risk for human health and the environment” and denied its development licence. It is now defending its position in front of VCAT.
Under Mr Collins’ leadership, the controversial Hampton Park Hill Development Plan was also approved, which paved the way for the proposed waste transfer station permit to be granted.
Both the planning permit and development plan have attracted wide community backlash.
Community groups believe Casey Council was in a conflict-of-interest by entering into a waste-to-energy procurement contract through the South East Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing (SEMAWP) alliance, with the expectation that the Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station would receive planning approval.
In denying the council’s conflict, Mr Collins later stated that the planning assessment was undertaken independently of Casey’s contractual obligations in the SEMAWP procurement.
Lynbrook Residents Association (LRA) president Scott Watson said that the group congratulated Mr Collins on his new role and recognised his experience, and wished him well in this new chapter.
However, Mr Watson said the association could not overlook his role in leading planning at Casey, when the Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station was approved.
“The community strongly rejects the claim that there is no conflict of interest [for the council] and will continue to push for transparency and investigation.
“Our hope is that Mr Collins takes this lesson forward — that communities deserve decisions made openly, with residents’ voices at the centre.”
Anthony Tassone, vice president of Casey Residents & Ratepayers Association, also wished Mr Collins well in his new CEO role.
“The CEO of any organisation, especially local councils, is critically important to help deliver essential services for residents,” he said.
“Unfortunately for Mr Collins his legacy amongst many residents in Casey will be that under his leadership as Director of City Planning and Infrastructure, a waste transfer station in Hampton Park was given a planning permit despite being less than 250 metres from residential homes just days before newly elected Councillors took office, shrouded in secrecy behind closed doors with administrators, away from the public eye.”
Mr Tassone said the Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station development licence application from Veolia was still before VCAT.
Before his prominent planning role, with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, he had extensive experience in tourism, leisure, and community development.
He was the Yarra Ranges Council’s manager of business and community wellbeing, as well as the director of social and economic development.
He held the role of the manager of youth, aquatics and recreation for the City of Monash, and was the coordinator of leisure and culture at Banyule City Council.
His other roles included the director of Yarra Ranges Tourism and the director of Anchor Inc., a non-profit organisation targeting homelessness crisis services.
Star News requested an interview with Mr Collins to look back at his legacy, but was declined.
In an earlier media release by Cardinia Shire, Mr Collins said he was “looking forward to leading the next phase of the Shire’s development and to collaborating with the dedicated Cardinia team, delivering real results for the community, now and for generations to come”.
