Online petition grows

An online petition has been launched urging Baw Baw Shire Council to accept a unique garden as public open space in a proposed residential subdivision.

Developers of a 251-lot residential subdivision in Warragul want to incorporate the existing Coromandel Arboretum in East West Rd as a botanical garden feature of their estate.

However, planners say the proposal fails to meet public open space guidelines.

Petitioners are hoping to convince council otherwise. The change.org petition has called on council to allow the arboretum to be incorporated as the public open space allocation within the new estate.

"There is an opportunity for this incredible asset to be retained for the public and given to the community. Currently the Baw Baw Shire Council do not want this asset, and we need to let them know we want the Coromandel trees saved for the community," the petition states.

The proposed subdivision, refused by council, is now in the hands of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Petitioners are calling on council to work with the developer to enable the botanic style garden to be retained as a community asset.

The petition requests councillors to move a notice of motion instructing council officers to inform VCAT that council will "accept the Coromandel Arboretum as a public park in the Warragul PSP."

Planners refused the subdivision on a number of grounds relating to links to existing roads, development that responds to the site topography, size of the village convenience store and a lack of information relating to a number of planning issues.

But the grounds for refusal relating to public open space stated the application did not deliver open space as required by the Warragul Precinct Structure Plan.

The PSP requires a neighbourhood park to be 1.2 hectares in size and within 400 metres of 95 per cent of the houses. The arboretum is within only 65 per cent of the proposed houses.

Coromandel Arboretum owner Jan Miller sold her 1.2 hectare property to developers Bernly Properties Pty Ltd hoped the garden, featuring 400 trees, would be a long appreciated community asset and public park.

Ms Miller said the shire would be gaining an environmental asset worth up to $4 million and a diverse collection of trees.