Melton council has forked out $75,000 in legal fees to defend its planning decisions at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in the past financial year.
Council went to VCAT 13 times for planning permit application disputes, with seven being decided in favour of council, five against and one decision is yet to be handed down.
At its latest meeting, councillors noted a VCAT ruling, which overturned council’s planning permit refusals for an Exford couple.
The couple have now been given permission to keep and train up to 50 greyhounds at its property, despite several objections from owners of nearby properties.
While the majority (nine) of permit applications heard at VCAT were for second or third dwellings on a land, Planning Services Manager Bob Baggio said council defended its decision for proposals for a place of worship, materials recycling, keeping and training dogs, and a covenant variation.
“Council will liaise with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to determine the feasibility of initiating a planning scheme amendment to rezone the estate in Exford and other areas, which have similar characteristics,” Mr Baggio said.
As reported by Star Weekly, VCAT recently overturned a decision by council, which refused a planning permit to Melbourne Islamic Centre to construct a mosque at Melton West, and Hillside couple Esther and Stephen Oluyide to build a second unit on their property.
