Warehouse proposal under fire

By Kath Gannaway
TWO Healesville tourism operators have launched an all-out campaign against the proposed warehouse development at the gateway to Healesville.
Raelene Spencer who runs The Gables Motel and Barbara Honan who operates Barb’s B&B will present a petition objecting to the proposed 16,837 square metre storage facility to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on 15 February.
The developer, FNQ (Far North Queensland) Developments Pty. Ltd. has lodged an Application for Review with VCAT following the Shire of Yarra Ranges’ decision to refuse a permit for the proposed development in July, 2007. The shire was then successful in having a Design Development Overlay approved by the Minister for Planning late last year.
While FNQ has submitted amended plans to VCAT with concessions including increasing some of the setbacks, reducing the overall size to 16,837 square metres from 25,622, and reducing the car parking from 384 to 253 spaces, both Ms Spencer and Ms Honan say they are token gestures in the overall scheme of the proposal.
“My main concern remains the size and height of the development and the proximity to Maroondah Highway at the entrance to our tourist township,” Ms Spencer said.
“The concessions are just not enough. They’ve moved it slightly back, reduced the height slightly, but it’s still going to be a very unsightly large warehouse that people are seeing after driving through the vineyards and farmlands into Healesville.”
Both Ms Spencer and Ms Honan say the proposed design is not compatable with the proposed uses – storage of commodities such as hay, feed, machinery, antique cars, wine, wool and furniture.
“There was no mention of what it would be used for initially and what they are saying now does not tie in with the number of car parking spaces they are asking for. Why would you need so many spaces for a storage facility,” Ms Honan said.
“Neither does there appear to be any financial benefit to Healesville,” she added.
Shire of Yarra Ranges’ Cr Jeanette McRae agreed.
“I would say there doesn’t seem to be any rationale between the proposed uses and number of car parking spaces, so for us the issue of the use of the site is still very much unresolved.
“On the basis that the identified uses seem to be non-labour intensive, it doesn’t seem realistic to cater for that many cars, or to assume there will be many employment opportunities.”
Cr Rae said the biggest issue for the shire was that the revised plans do not comply with the Design Development Overlay.
“The DDO was prepared in recognition of the fact this is a significant site – something that has been acknowledged by the applicant previously, as well as by the council and the community. The other issue for me is if you are talking about 250 odd car spaces then that’s a lot of traffic coming in off Heritage Lane onto the Highway so I believe there are serious concerns about the ability for traffic movement through that intersection,” she said.
FNQ director John Lordan would only comment on the issue of the car spaces. “They’d make a good underground market in winter, wouldn’t they?”
Ms Spencer and Ms Honan say they have between more than 500 signatures voicing opposition to the development which they hope will be seen as a reflection of the concern local residents and business operators have about the proposed development.
They say the petition will be submitted at a Practice Day Hearing at VCAT on 15 February.
A date for the full hearing is expected to be set soon after.