Thumbs-up for Leopold residential plan

A STATE planning panel has recommended the City of Greater Geelong proceed with a rezoning of land at Leopold’s north-west corner subject to environmental controls.

The city is considering rezoning 2.02 hectares of land at 672-690 and 692-700 Portarlington Road, at the corner of Melaluka Road, from farming to residential to fill in the last remaining land parcels in the area.

A Victorian government planning panel heard submissions from landowners and the city in November and handed its report to the city last month, which recommended proceeding with the rezone.

“Rezoning the land to General Residential Zone – Schedule 1 will support the final stages of residential development in the north-western part of Leopold within the settlement boundary,” the panel’s chair Lisa Kendal stated in the report.

“The Amendment delivers net community benefit and sustainable development… and should proceed subject to the recommendations in this report.”

The land will remain subject to an Environmental Audit Overlay (EAO) due to potential for contamination, despite one of the landowner’s bid to exclude part of their land from the additional control.

The EAO would require landowners to undergo assessments before any residential development at the land.

A developer-commissioned analysis provided as part of evidence for the panel hearing process found concentrations of heavy metals were all within acceptable ranges and detected no signs of asbestos.

The panel also recommended the planning scheme amendment includes a pedestrian connection to Melaluka Road, changes to vehicle access and urban design requirements.

It also dismissed one submission related to downstream drainage impacts from future development, indicating the proposal adequately addressed water management.

The city will now consider the report’s findings ahead of a decision on whether to make the planning change, with officers due to prepare a report for a future council meeting.