24-hour fuel station lacks council support

A proposed 24-hour service station, 7Eleven convenience store and drive-thru food outlet development will not go ahead in Drouin.

Baw Baw Shire councillors last week voted against the development on the Princes Way site, currently occupied by Drouin Tyre and Battery Service.

Despite planning officers recommending the application be approved, councillors listened to concerns raised by surrounding residents, who said it would have a negative impact on their amenity.

The property is zoned general residential. Despite the existing use rights for the land, a planning permit is required to establish a service station and convenience store in a residential zone.

Council received six objections to the proposal.

Nearby resident Robert Ross said the current 50 hour a week business left them with 118 hours of a tranquil lifestyle.

“Now Mr 7-Eleven has come along and wants to take that 118 hours away from us,” he said.

Mr Ross said there could be up to 200 vehicles an hour enter and exit the 7-Eleven development yet there would be lucky to be 200 a week with the current business.

Narelle Bell raised concerns about the 24hour use and the safety of surrounding residents.

On behalf of the applicant, town planning consultant Spiro Neofitou said there would be a three to four metre landscape buffer and acoustic fencing around the site.

He said only the fuel would be open 24 hours and the convenience store and drivethru restaurant would be open until midnight.

Planning officers said the location and existing use of the site made it beneficial for redevelopment of a modern service station.

“The immediate character of the area is already affected by multiple use carrying different level of amenity:

“The proposal can adequately replace the existing business and provide an adequate buffer between the surrounding industries (and highway) to the west and the dwellings to the east,” the report said.

Crs Keith Cook and Danny Goss moved the application be approved but their motion was not carried.

Cr Cook said Drouin’s population was approaching 13,000, with 16,000 people within the Drouin postcode.

“If this goes ahead it will provide jobs and a convenience store for residents that will be accessible,” he said.

Cr Cook said it also will create competition for fuel prices with other outlets in the town.

Cr Goss said he sympathised with residents “but this time I’m going to look at the economic development.”

“This is an existing use, even though it’s not (currently) 24 hours.

“It’s a reasonably dirty looking site at the moment and this will provide jobs and services,” he said.

Cr Darren Wallace opposed the application, saying there needed to be fairness with an industrial development in a residential zoned area.

He said the existing use was a battery and tyre business, not a 24-hour convenience store.

“This is not apples for apples. It’s a family run business being taken over by a multinational,” he said.

Cr Jessica O’Donnell said while the development would improve the aesthetics of the area, she did not have a “high comfort level with the 24-hour proposal.”

Cr Michael Leaney also opposed the application because it was in a residential zone.

He said the proposal needed to consider reduced hours, possibly 7am to 10pm.

“Yes the building could do with an upgrade but this is not what this is about,” he said.

The motion to approve the application was defeated five votes to three with Crs Cook, Goss and Joe Gauci in favour of the development.

Crs Wallace, O’Donnell, Leaney, Peter Kostos and Tricia Jones voted against. Cr Mikaela Power declared a conflict of interest.