No time left for farm land decision Construction site graffiti

On several occasions prior to this, the current council had discussed and debated the value of farm land, the right to farm and the right to have a house on agricultural land on numerous occasions.

Cr Terry Williamson called for an officer report and in June last year the report was delivered.

Council agreed to direct officers to commence a review of the rural land use policy by preparing three scenarios – current scenario; reduce fragmentation; and, support housing on existing lots less than four hectares.

The review was released in May for public consultation. Extensive community consultation followed.

The feedback was collated and presented to council for changes. Further consultation followed in July and August with more information sessions.

Council received 83 written submissions, 97 surveys were completed and almost 400 people attended the sessions.

A special meeting was held last Monday night for council to consider the rural land use review. It was the last chance council could make a decision before going into caretaker period.

The officer recommendation was to prepare a planning scheme amendment to implement the rural land use policy. This process would have involved further consultation when the planning scheme amendment was placed on public exhibition.

Instead council resolved not to make a decision, opting for more consultation.

Council endorsed the draft policy, which will now go out for a further six weeks consultation once the new council is elected.

Despite initiating the review, this council has now not been able to tick off on the draft policy before its term ends.

The two councillors who moved the original motion – Cr Terry Williamson and Murray Cook – were apologies because they had conflicts of interest and could not debate the matter.

Mayor Joe Gauci said “we have not avoided the hard decision at all.”

“We always cop the flack for not consulting with the community.

“This cannot be rushed through for the sake of saying this council did it.

“We want to make sure people have it right in their heads rather than people saying it was rushed through by this council,” Cr Gauci said.

This was quite the opposite attitude to the same council who released precinct structure plans for Warragul and Drouin in June 2014, received 216 submissions during a four week consultation period and then rushed through a special meeting to endorse the controversial plans so former planning minister Matthew Guy could sign off on the plans before the state government caretaker period.

Now the rural land use review will be left to a new council for decision.

Large concrete panels at a construction site were the target of graffiti last week.

Police said the graffiti occurred between September 9 and September 12.

Offenders spray painted graffiti on large concrete panels along the southern walls of a construction site at 6 Queen St, Warragul.