Divisive childcare site seeks planning change

A GROVEDALE childcare centre is seeking changes to a planning permit issued by the state’s planning umpire that it received after winning a planning dispute against City of Greater Geelong and neighbours.

A proposed business at the corner of Pioneer Road and Westminster Street wants to expand its capacity to 100 children, reduce its car parking requirement and make minor changes to its building design.

The existing permit was for a 90-child centre across five children’s rooms, plus outdoor play spaces and a reception and amenities building.

The proposal had gone to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in 2018 after the city rejected an officer’s recommendation to approve the proposal.

Councillors at the time sided with community concerns around traffic for the site – which is a busy road that links the Surf Coast Highway to Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre – and raised issue with the scale of the building in relation to the surrounding neighbourhood and amenity impacts for nearby residences.

A community petition calling for the Planning Minister to intervene attracted more than 700 signatures, but was unsuccessful.

VCAT member Megan Carew overruled the council’s decision, finding the benefits of increased childcare spaces would outweigh the negative impacts.

The city is advertising the proposed changes until March 4. Objectors have until Thursday, March 2 to submit statements to VCAT if they wish to contest the application.

The tribunal will host a hearing in June to decide on the application unless it is resolved beforehand.