Retail plan headed for independent panel

A PROPOSED strategy to guide retail activities throughout the Moorabool Shire for a decade is being sent to an independent planning panel for consideration.

Amendment C115moor would implement recommendations of the Moorabool Shire Retail Strategy, which was adopted in September 2024 to help plan for expected growth in places like Bacchus Marsh and Ballan.

It was placed on exhibition from 24 October to 30 November last year and attracted 11 submissions.

One submission came from a resident and two from government agencies.

Three submissions from landowners/commercial developers were in support of the amendment while four requested alterations to the plan.

The final submission was from an industrial landowner who wanted the amendment delayed until the C119moor Maddingley Planning Study amendment is completed.

Moorabool councillors voted to send the amendment and submissions to a panel at their February meeting.

But before a vote was taken, Raph Krelle of Centrum Town Planning in Bendigo addressed councillors on behalf of the BMS Retail Group, which trades as Champions IGA and operates the Darley and Maddingley supermarkets, and Darley Plaza owner Velardo Trading.

Mr Krelle said Velardo Trading had been working on a redevelopment of Darley Plaza for more than 15 years, and flooding remained the last major issue holding the project back.

He said a redevelopment of the plaza would result in a complex more than twice as large as the existing plaza with retail, gym and office spaces at a cost of up to $20 million.

In response to a question from Cr Rod Ward, Mr Krelle said Melbourne Water’s position was that the floor level of Darley Plaza would need to be raised by 400 to 500 millimetres, which would result in the need to effectively demolish the existing shopping centre and stop trading.

He said that was simply not possible.

“It really comes down to flood modelling work and the guidelines that Melbourne Water are adopting and implementing,” Mr Krelle said.

“… the issues are significant, but in the many decades that the plaza has operated, it’s never actually gone underwater or experienced significant flooding, so there’s a complicated series of issues we need to work through.”

When the panel’s report is received, councillors will have a choice of whether to adopt the amendment, include some changes, or abandon it.