The proposal to rezone about 155 acres of farmland in Hopetoun Park for residential use received 32 submissions, with three speakers having their say at the Moorabool council chamber last week.
At the July 2 council meeting, council acknowledged the submissions to a planning scheme amendment for the Hopetoun Park north precinct and will ask the state to establish an independent planning panel to consider them.
The amendment, exhibited from March 21 to May 4, proposes to introduce and apply planning controls to manage a master-planned community of about 400 new lots for 1200 residents and facilitate open space and community infrastructure.
Hopetoun Park North includes land on either side of Hopetoun Road between the Western Freeway and the existing Hopetoun Park residential estate.
According to council, issues raised in the submissions included opposition to any form of residential development, requests for lot sizes to be consistent with existing lot sizes in Hopetoun Park, concerns about the loss of native habitat and impacts on local fauna, and potential negative impacts on residential amenity – particularly increased traffic.
Submitter Clare Mizzi who spoke at the council meeting said they opposed the amendment for multiple reasons, both personal and environmental.
“The proposed property has been used for agricultural purposes for the last … 20 years or so,” Ms Mizzi said.
“Having urban blocks so close to acreage will create an [incompatible] lifestyle. If this development is to go ahead, I urge you to consider protecting the land for future generations by amending it to mirror the surrounding area with at least three-acre blocks dropping down to one-acre blocks,” said.
Hopetoun Park resident Elley Camilleri said she was disheartened by the responses to submissions, “lacking in real solutions for the residents most affected.”
Ms Camilleri said her key concerns were around removal of native flora and fauna, increased traffic entering and existing Cowans Road, and reduced privacy due to homes overlooking her property.
One of the site’s developers Ross Closter said some of the issues raised in the submissions have been resolved and some remain unresolved.
He said the site has been included as a future residential growth area in the Bacchus Marsh planning scheme and Bacchus Marsh urban growth framework since 2018.
“The most appropriate course of action here is to adopt the recommendation and send it to an independent planning panel,” Mr Closter said.
