Small win in farm’s land fight
THE fight to save one of Victoria’s oldest farms from losing a chunk of land to compulsory acquisition has achieved a small victory, with the State Government extending its public feedback period.
The State Government has earmarked a 61ha slice of a 455ha Waurn Ponds farm for compulsory acquisition to make way for a $115 million train maintenance and stabling facility.
But the Larcombe family, who have operated the farm for 116 years, are in the midst of a desperate bid to convince the Government to consider an alternative site — warning the merino sheep farm could be rendered unviable by the “ruthless” land grab.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning yesterday revealed it would give the public an extra week to provide submissions to the project. The deadline will now be 4pm on September 24.
“This is to allow late submissions to be considered at the directions hearing and to ensure all submitters have an opportunity to have their say,” the department said.
The Geelong Advertiser this week revealed Boral Australia had offered part of its Waurn Ponds Cement Works land to the State Government for acquisition to house the project.
A letter from Boral Australia to a neighbour of the Larcombes — obtained by the Addy — revealed the company had “pursued and exhausted all possible avenues to having our landholding considered by PTV as a viable alternative to its current strategy”.
Regional Rail Revival director Mark Havryluk this week said the Larcombes’ farm was identified as “the most suitable site”.