Shire set to decide on updated village plan
VCAT hearing looms for controversial Torquay project
“The proposal has received 111 objections and only two letters of support, according to council documents.
A controversial plan to turn a block of land in Torquay’s north into a retirement village is back before the Surf Coast Shire this week.
Councillors will decide whether to support amended plans for the development on Coombes Rd, which have been in limbo since 2017, at a meeting on Tuesday before the matter goes before a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing later this month.
The project has been met with community outrage in recent years, with more than 100 protesters rallying in April last year against the plans.
Residents’ main concerns include overdevelopment in the Torquay area and the environmental impact to local vegetation and wildlife.
The proposal has received 111 objections and only two letters of support, according to council documents.
Revised plans were submitted on March 5 for 191 independent living units, reduced from 196 units initially proposed, which includes 104 single-storey units, 13 doublestorey units and three apartment buildings with 16 onebedroom apartments and 58 two-bedroom apartments.
The plans also include a lawn bowls pitch, five outdoor pavilions and a total of 334 carparking spaces across the site.
Council documents state the retirement village will “contribute to housing diversity within the municipality ” and create “more affordable housing options”.
Councillors blocked a bid to sell Cypress Lane and a portion of nearby public land, known as Reserve No.3, in October last year.
“There has been high community interest about the development and also the land sale process,” councillor Rose Hodge said at the time, who has previously voted against the retirement village development.
“The decision to not approve the … sale of land was based on a desire to preserve public open space, acknowledging significant community concerns.”
Objectors lodged an appeal with VCAT in September last year.
A meeting between the parties was held in February but an agreement was not reached.
A VCAT hearing is set to begin on April 29 and residents are fundraising to help cover the cost of legal fees.