Plea to pull down fence

By Kath Gannaway
A MILLGROVE resident last week called on the Shire of Yarra Ranges to stop development of a block of land which has traditionally been used by local children as an extension of an adjacent playground.
Ms Tass Holmes, a resident of Millgrove for more than seven years, started her campaign to retain use of the block of land at 36 River Road, after a paling fence was erected removing access to the land.
In a petition signed by nearly 500 local people and presented at the Yarra Ranges Council meeting on 25 July, Ms Holmes said the new fence rendered the park unusable for most people except for very young, accompanied children and called on the shire to pull down the fence and consult with the community on the future of the park.
The shire however, says its hands are tied.
The shire’s community relations manager, James Martin, said despite the fact that local children and families have used the land for recreation, it is privately owned and, providing the owner complies with all planning and building requirements, he or she as a ratepayer, has all the rights and obligations of any other land-owner.
“The continuous use provisions simply do not apply here,” Mr Martin said.
Following the construction of a gravel driveway into the block of land last week, Ms Holmes says there is now an urgent need for the shire to act and is gathering more signatures to put pressure on the shire to purchase the land.
“Considering the public use of that land for many years, it is not appropriate for council to not intervene in this matter and to prevent further development of the land,” she wrote to mayor Monika Keane, and Gembrook MP, Tammy Lobato.
Ms Holmes claims there are heritage and planning issues, which may affect any development of the site and has requested the shire to re-examine the allowable use of the land.
She is also concerned, she said, that playground equipment is so close to the fence, it is dangerous.
Mr Martin said the council was currently looking at options to get around the proximity of the equipment to the fence, one of which could be to move the equipment to a safe distance.
He said council would look at the issues raised in the petition but added that any decision in regard to the shire buying the land – presuming it was for sale – would be made by councillors.