Retaining walls debacle holds up lives

Waterford Rise Development Stage 65 to 67 'Waterford Rise' Warragul.

A beautiful new development and an opportunity to build your dream house in a sought after rural location. Wow. Well that's how it started back in 2012.

Present day - nine tenths of the development has been completed, land titled, houses built, families moved in. Sounds perfect.

But if you are waiting on the last section. The last couple of hundred or so. Forget it.

What we are about to tell you is like being in first or second place in the Melbourne Cup. Two furlongs from home and your mount is pulled up because the race sponsors didn't like the jockey's top.

Now let's substitute this objection to the jockey's top for the sighting and size of some retaining walls on this development.

Yes, despite the race to complete the development, in accordance with Baw Baw Shire Council's authorised plans, council complained about the height of some of the retaining walls.

Yep, the same dimensions as the rest of the development now considered, unlawful, unsightly and out of keep with existing properties which brought a complete halt to this construction site.

Now for a minute let's forget the developers Baw Baw Developments who, in fairness have produced thus far an estate which lives up to the sales patter used at the beginning.

Let's first concentrate on those would be house purchasers, who in anticipation of the developers promising to finish, as per agreements made on exchange of their hard earned cash, are now being told completion is a minimum of two years away.

"But I've sold my old house, put my furniture in storage and have now got to rent alternative accommodation," they say. "For how long?" they ask.

Well here's the conundrum. No one knows and add to that the duration of building time which now stands at 12 to 18 months. Council, in its infinite wisdom and after most of the estate had been completed, acted like they were responding to a complaint or complaints from other parties.

They decided that the retaining walls should not exceed a height of one metre. With only a handful of homes left to complete, the retaining wall height was suddenly in question.

Hundreds of retaining walls above this height had already been installed. Now, they're not acceptable. It is utterly inconceivable I know.

But the council would not budge, nor would they entertain any approach, directly or indirectly, from either the developers or title holders or other interested parties, with a view to a reconciliation.

No. They held out and the case had to be taken to VCAT - which they lost. Stages 65 to 67 can now proceed as per the permits granted by council originally. Sadly the blocks of land won't title until June/July 2023 as all the infrastructure work has to be completed.

The immeasurable suffering, financial stress brought about additional renting costs and all round disruption to individual lives cannot be emphasised enough.

Thank you Baw Baw Council, now where do we, as innocent parties, turn, to seek redemption for a transgression invented by one or maybe several persons in the employ of the council?

Anne Brady and Syd Adams, Pakenham