A BAKERY in the City of Greater Dandenong insists safety is not an issue despite potentially coming under nearby Casey Council's proposed one-kilometre buffer zone around a toxic waste dump in Dandenong South.

Fresh Start Bakeries, which supplies hamburger buns to fast-food restaurant McDonalds, is in National Drive - 400 metres from recycler SITA's Lyndhurst Landfill in Taylors Road.

Under Casey's proposal, food industries such as Fresh Start - even if they are in the City of Greater Dandenong bordering Casey - would require a 'sensitive use' permit to operate in the buffer zone.

Casey's proposal will be sent to the state government to decide the matter.

Greater Dandenong planning manager Jody Bosman told last Monday's Greater Dandenong Council meeting the bakery did not qualify as a sensitive-use industry under the council's planning scheme, although buffers did apply.

Fresh Start managing director Rob Beatty said he had "no concerns" about the tip. "Our food safety plans include air filtration with regular servicing. In fact, the plant has a positive air pressure system that doesn't allow entry of air through doors when they are opened."

He said licensing conditions of the tip's operator, SITA Australia , ensured wastes were effectively contained and "do not pose any unacceptable risk to human health or the environment".

A McDonalds spokeswoman said: "We do not have any concerns in relation to the products that are supplied to us from Fresh Start Bakeries at Dandenong South."

The landfill is the only Victorian landfill licensed to accept toxic wastes. Last month, SITA received works approval from the Environment Protection Authority to process 60,000 tonnes of contaminated soil a year.

Terry Eccles, human resources manager at neighbouring factory Pryda, said the introduction of contaminated soil concerned him. He said Pryda managers had raised the prospect of moving. "My belief is that it's quite unreasonable to have the [toxic landfill] there and it should be well away from these sort of areas."