By Helen Tatchell<\/p>\n
It is not uncommon for a tunnel to take large volumes of traffic underneath a body of water, for example the English Channel and the Burnley tunnel, but what about a tunnel bored underneath the Western Freeway\u2026..that will pipe sewerage?
\nThis bold plan was discussed in depth at the 3 July Council meeting and involves a few obstacles, but not \u2018blind mullets\u2019.
\nDespite the Council Officers recommendation to \u2018defer the consideration of the amendment until the completion of the Rural Land Use Strategy\u2019, the request for Authorisation Planning Scheme Amendment C87 at 135 Ballanee Road, Ballan will be sent to the Minister, after Central Ward Councillor Paul Tatchell put up an alternate recommendation that fellow councillors voted to accept.
\nBut it was not without debate.
\nThe proposal is for a combined planning scheme amendment to rezone a portion of the \u2018Ballanee\u2019 property site (approximately 95 ha) from Farming Zone (FZ) to Rural Living Zone (RLZ), amend the existing schedule to allow for a 2ha minimum subdivision size and reduce the extent of the Heritage Overlay. It is noted that a small portion of the site is already zoned RLZ. The amendment also seeks to subdivide the property to 42 lots. All lots are proposed to be 2ha in size, except for five lots that vary between 2.1 and 2.5ha.
\nWest councillor Tom Sullivan objected to the alternate motion for an amendment.
\n\u201cThis is a spot rezoning, they generally fail. There is no strategic justification; this is an excellent application, but will fail at the threshold,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cEvery policy has half a dozen dot points. My position is we would be better to make sure we have all the ammunition to get it right rather than fail. There is not strategic justification, this is spot rezoning.
\n\u201cThere is nothing in our Planning Scheme that gives it a trigger point to proceed,\u201d Cr Sullivan said.
\nCr Tatchell responded by saying in the debate he respected Cr Sullivan\u2019s judgement.
\n\u201cThe issue in particular is that opportunity knocks.
\n\u201cDevelopers usually drive in with a bulldozer and drive out with an Armaguard truck.
\n\u201cThe point is, we have someone willing to put their hand in their pocket to put the sewerage under the Western Freeway. You can\u2019t keep allowing people to live on top of each other, they don\u2019t want that. Kids in Ballan grow up pretty good; kids around here grow up on land. We are stopping the motor bikes, stopping the horses \u2013 if we take this to 2021, or 2023 \u2013 people will buy somewhere else,\u201d he said.
\nCr Tatchell said people come here and want to live rural and be sustainable on 5-acres or more.
\n\u201cLet\u2019s seize the day,\u201d he said
\n\u201cA bloke has his hand in his pocket; he has the cheque. 42 lots \u2013 let him build.\u201d
\nIn the report before Councillors it said Central Highlands Water have not yet completed a detailed analysis of the area, but preliminary discussions indicate they would be supportive of a pressurised sewer system with each lot feeding into the main via a pumping system. The report states that the sewer would need to be connected from the existing gravity sewer network in Flack Street, bored under the Western Freeway to the site.
\nThe alternate amendment motion was carried with Crs Tatchell, Bingham, Dudzik and Keogh voting For and Cr Sullivan voting Against.
\nOverall the item was carried. Crs Edwards and Toohey were apologies and absent from the meeting.<\/p>\n