Helipad backed
VCAT to make ruling
SURF Coast councillors have given their support to controversial plans for a Freshwater Creek helipad, subject to a reduction in the proposed number of movements and hours of operation.
But the final call will be made by the state’s planning umpire after council deferred its decision on the matter for several months, ignoring officers’ advice and tipping the planning permit application over the statutory time limit.
Council determined its stance last night, almost a year after plans were first lodged. The decision will now be presented to a three-day Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing in September.
Original plans requested approval for a “maximum of nine helicopter movements occurring between 7am and 8pm daily”, but have since been scaled down to four helicopter movements a day.
A detailed review of the application seen by councillors last night suggested the helicopter landing site be used once a day, three days a week between 7am and 8pm on weekdays and 8am and 8pm on weekends and public holidays — and wrapping up operations at sunset.
Councillors also last night voted to retain an 80km/h speed limit on a notorious stretch of road in Torquay, instead choosing to undertake a speed limit review for the wider area.
The council had received a report on a 97-signature petition calling for Ghazeepore Rd speed limit to be dropped from 80km/h to 50km/h between Coombes and Grossmans roads.
The council report noted VicRoads guidelines did not support cutting the speed limit.
A plan to build an apartment complex on the Torquay foreshore was also knocked back by councillors, but will be decided on by VCAT.
The application to build 48 apartments at 86-92 The Esplanade received 71 objections.