Helicopter site plan to go to VCAT

A PROPOSAL to build a helicopter landing site in Freshwater Creek has been lifted out of the Surf Coast Shire’s hands, with the matter to now be considered by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Councillors initially considered the planning application for 420 Coombes Road at their meeting last month and were recommended by officers to grant it, subject to a long list of conditions.

There were 48 public objections during the exhibition period and Cr Heather Wellington spoke at length against it at the April 4 meeting, saying she believed the application was trying to introduce a business use without a separate business permit.

The council subsequently voted to defer the proposal until their meeting on Tuesday, putting the shire past the 60-day limit to deal with the application.

As a result, the applicant asked VCAT on May 2 for a review of the council’s failure to determine the application within statutory time frames.

The initiating order of the tribunal has scheduled a practice day hearing on June 22, a compulsory conference on the August 10 and the merits hearing for September 24.

However, the council is yet to decide whether it is in favour of the helicopter landing site or not, and councillors resolved at Tuesday’s meeting to receive another report to determine the council’s position at a meeting before the VCAT hearing.

Cr Wellington said it was very important that the council’s position was clear before going to VCAT, and defended her decision to not back the officers’ original recommendation.

“I think it was pretty clear to us that it wasn’t clear what the whole package was that was being presented to us.”