Compo fight tipped over acquired land

TENANTS could be eligible for compensation if City Hall goes ahead with a land grab on Geelong’s fringes, an expert says.

Geelong council has left the door open for compulsory land acquisitions as it considers plans to spread 100,000 new residents between Lovely Banks and Batesford in the coming decades.

Land acquisition expert Peta Olive said while the pro- cess may seem far away, she urged locals to do their research early on.

Ms Olive said it was important to remember compensation could extend beyond landowners.

“Everyone who has interest in the land potentially has right to a claim,” she said.

“It can include people who have a lease, stock on land or paying an agistment fee.

“Often the person who is agisting the land doesn’t bother putting in a claim — but they can be significant.”

As part of the plans, 17,000 new homes would be built in Lovely Banks to accommodate 48,000 residents.

The area earmarked for development is within the boundaries of Anakie Rd, Geelong Ring Road, Bacchus Marsh Rd and Staceys Rd.

In Batesford, more than 60,000 residents are expected to be spread out across 22,000 new homes.

The plans are still in a preliminary stage and Geelong council is currently running a public consultation process before pushing ahead.

But Ms Olive, a principal lawyer at Aitken Partners, said brushing up on the state’s land acquisition laws now could pay off in the long run.

“I think it’s really important that people arm themselves with the right advice early on, because this is a really stressful process,” she said.

“If your land is going to be acquired, you do have rights under the Act . . . and it’s not just for the market value of your land.

“There is lots of extra com- pensation you may be entitled to if you know about them and have the right advice.”

Ms Olive said land acquisitions had become more common around Geelong in recent years, with her organisation helping people in Armstrong Creek and near the Drysdale Bypass.

“It’s a really unique process. A lot of people haven’t heard about it and perhaps don’t believe it’s real; that it’s only what we saw in The Castle,” she said. “But it does happen on a daily basis.”