Owner eyes VCAT appeal on gym

Planners recommended the application be approved, saying it was consistent with the planning scheme and purpose of the industrial zone.

Superfit Warragul will offer personal and group fitness sessions for up to 20 clients at a time, despite having only five on-site parking spaces, including one disability spot.

However, Kerrianne Murray, owner of Murray’s Bricks and Pavers, said the gym would have a severe impact on customers and deliveries for her business.

She said gym clients of the would be forced to park on the road, adding to the hazards for the surrounding businesses.

Murray’s has a double frontage with the entrance to the yard on Hazel St and the exit on Masterson Crt, where the gym will be located.

When the Gazette visited the site early on Friday afternoon, Masterson Court was crowded with utes and small trucks, some double parked. Builders were working on four new factories across the road from Murray’s exit.

The driver of a B double truck exiting Murray’s yard into Masterson Court struggled to make the turn.

Ms Murray was one of six local business owners to object to the application, most of them because of parking concerns.

She said none of the councillors spoke to her or the other objectors before the meeting to try to understand their concerns.

Ms Murray said the second generation family business started off in Drouin more than 50 years ago, shifted to Queen Street in Warragul, then moved to their current site about nine years ago.

“We moved knowing we needed somewhere where we could get our trucks in and out.

“We took a lot of time purchasing land for that reason. We knew we needed to be out of town.”

The business now employs about 15 staff as well as subcontractors. It has three B double trucks, which make daily deliveries to Melbourne and throughout the state, two semi-trailers and a couple of tray trucks which arrive and depart any time between 3.30am and 10pm.

They also operate a roofing division and a retail division so tradies are constantly arriving to pick up stock.

Ms Murray said there was no question of moving the business again.

“We’ve invested far too much money to move. Besides, where could we go in Warragul that we could get our trucks in and out?

“B double rated trucks are allowed on this road. It’s built for the transport industry.”

She said one councillor commented that Murray’s had two entrances, on to Hazel Street and Masterson Court.

“We have an entrance off Hazel Street and an exit onto Masterson. Exiting on to Hazel would involve backing a 25-metre B double truck into traffic.

“People don’t understand how much room these trucks need.”