Time for a ceasefire?
THE future of duck hunting at Lake Connewarre will be investigated amid council concerns about the practice’s impact on encroaching housing in the area.
The council this week advanced plans for 460 new homes to be built on Mollers Lane in Leopold, on the northern edge of the environmentally significant lake.
In agreeing to exhibit the land rezoning and planning permit application, the council’s administrators called for a review of duck hunting in the area.
It followed a plea by a local resident who detailed longrunning issues with shooters, which have left one person injured by a bullet and shots fired above and into his home.
Duck hunting is permitted within designated areas of the lake’s State Game Reserve during the season.
The council will write to the state’s land manager, DELWP, and ask it to consider the future and extent of duck shooting at the site.
“If we are going to have intensive residential development going almost all the way to the lake, is it time to look at the reserve?” administrator Peter Dorling earlier asked.
The proposed new housing estate would see Leopold’s settlement boundary moved further south.
The 41-hectare holding is comprised of six largely agricultural properties, and hosts the Holy Trinity Leopold Lu- theran Church and a former plant farm nursery.
Council’s planning and development acting director, Geoff Lawler, said the development would not compromise the “visual integrity” of Lake Connewarre and its surrounds.
“Modelling shows that there is likely to be only a minimal change to a small area of wetland habitat along the foreshore of Lake Connewarre.
“This is unlikely to be noticed by any of the ecological components.”
However the proximity of the development necessitates further assessment of the impact of freshwater flows into the lake.
Mr Lawler said traffic lights would be needed at the Mollers Lane and Bellarine Highway intersection, along with new bike lanes, street lighting and bus stops.