Panel decides on town designs

Future design models for development in Longwarry, Neerim South and Trafalgar will be referred to an independent planning panel.

Design and development overlays for the three towns are proposed to be included in the Baw Baw planning scheme as part of amendment C131.

Following a public exhibition period, council received eight submissions.

Council will now consider the submissions and refer them to an independent panel.

Officers suggested the alternative action would be to abandon the amendment or change the frameworks as suggested in community submissions.

The proposed overlays will guide designers and planning officers to heights, setbacks and details that are favourable to each affected area and ensure an integrated approach to the future development in each town.

The final versions of the amendment documents were approved by DELWP for authorisation in February 2020.

Council received five objections and two “no objection” submissions.

A further submission from the Department of Transport suggested additional requirements be included in the overlays.

Officers said the majority of issues raised in submissions related to maps at the back of the DDOs including:

Access points shown on the plans as being on private land, that may imply those properties could be constructed in the future and that the land could be acquired; and,

Concerns current commercial zone rights will be lost where an education zone is marked on a map.

Two submissions stated the amendment facilitated closure of access to a Trafalgar car park between Contingent St and McCrorey St.

Concerns were raised about access to a hotel drive thru bottleshop from the carpark.

Cr Peter Kostos said this planning scheme amendment had been around for quite some time.

“Going to a panel will give them the opportunity to express their concerns,” he said.

Cr Darren Wallace said the design frameworks were first considered by council in 2018 and had since been through community consultation.

He said given there were objections to the amendment it was appropriate it be considered by a panel.

“There has been too much time invested in this to just abandon the process,” he said.