TELL COUNCIL THEY’RE DREAMING AND, SAVE OUR CASTLE
Patrick and Glenda love the serenity of their Drysdale home but the city wants to tear it down ... to build a drain.
A DRYSDALE couple are facing the demolition of their home to make way for drainage needed for a residential development of about 550 new houses.
De facto couple Glenda MacNaughton and Patrick Hughes have warned their Wyndham St home of 11 years is set to be sacrificed in a bid to rezone 28 rural homes to make way for a new housing estate.
“Life as it was has been thrown up in the air,” Ms MacNaughton said from the couple’s carefully manicured yard.
“We want to keep our house.
“We’ve put a lot of heart and soul and money and time into building a home, and a network of friends and community here.”
A council report noted the couple’s property had been “identified in the proposed planning provisions for a drainage reserve and co-located public open space”, but suggested it may be 17 years before their land was required.
Mr Hughes argued their land wasn’t actually needed, citing a May 2019 Stormwater Management Plan report that found “careful design of the retarding basin upstream of Jetty Road should permit for the existing dwelling to be maintained”.
But a council report noted a draft Development Contributions Plan bound the city as the development agency to acquire the property.
“For me, the big thing is, if it is possible for our house to be saved, why won’t they?” Ms MacNaughton asked.
City of Greater Geelong councillors on Tuesday voted to call on the state Planning Minister to appoint an independent panel to consider the planning scheme amendment C363, necessary to make way for the housing development.
The proposal received 71 public submissions after it was exhibited late last year, including 61 objecting to the move.
The submissions and a city response will be referred to the panel, which is scheduled to begin hearing in April.
Ms MacNaughton and Mr Hughes said they would continue to fight the planning amendment, but they voiced their frustration with the council’s decision.
“To put it off to an independent panel does feel like they’re opting out of making a decision themselves. It’s almost like it’s in the too-hard basket,” Ms MacNaughton said.
“For my elected representatives, I’d rather people who have the gumption to stand up and say the community doesn’t want this, it’s time to review what’s wanted in this.”
Geelong Mayor Stephanie Asher, who is also a Bellarine Ward councillor, conceded Drysdale was “most certainly not an urban vibe”.
“There are many members of our community who are against this amendment,” Cr Asher said.