Inverleigh plan set for panel

AN amendment to the Inverleigh Structure Plan has been sent to the Minister for Planning with the aim of convening an independent panel to look at the issue.

The move came at the last Golden Plains Shire council meeting and some councillors hoped the referral would take some of the heat out of the issue.

“Where we are right now is in no man’s land,” said Cr Des Phelan. “Now we can just move on, have a panel appointed, it’s got nothing to do with council, it’s independent and… hands down advice to us on which way we should be going.

“It’s gives everybody the opportunity to present themselves and their arguments, whether for or against, and at the end of the day we all walk away happy.”

As part of the development of the updated structure plan, the amendment was shown for a month from mid-August and community feedback was sought.

Subsequently 91 submissions were received on the issue with a range of different takes.

People who supported the changes to the town’s structure plan generally didn’t respond that the amendment needed to be considered by a panel.

However, the vast majority, or 82 of the people who provided feedback on the plan, did support assessment by the State government planning panel.

In putting his support behind sending the structure plan for further consideration, Cr David Evans made a commitment to monitor the process and outcome of the independent panel.

“As one of your councillors I will closely review the panel report,” he said. “If in my opinion it has failed to address areas of concern, I shall propose amendments before it is finally adopted.”

Feedback on the plan to council focused on several areas including reducing the allowable lot size, increased traffic, fire risk, loss of the town’s country feel and impact on Inverleigh Primary School.