Course cleared

By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Ranges Council gave the go-ahead last week for a golf course and turf farm on a green-wedge flood plain in Yering.
In a five/four decision Eastern Golf Club gained approval for the application which environment group Friends of the Earth have dubbed a “dubious” project which had the potential to pollute the Yarra River.
The proposed site is one kilometre upstream from the pumps which draw water from the Yarra River into Sugarloaf Reservoir.
Anthony Amis from FOTE said the site also had significant heritage value and that FOTE was waiting on a decision from Heritage Victoria in relation to their submission that the site should be listed as a heritage site.
He argued also that the project would undermine green-wedge values in the region.
Mr Amis said FOTE had grave concerns about pesticides and sediment from construction working its way into the Yarra River, especially during heavy rain and flooding. “These pollutants could then impact on the species that inhabit the river,” he said.
However, town planner Michael Deiden of CBG Australia, acting for the golf club, said that the reverse was true.
He said there were a number of aspects attached to the proposal which would result in improvements to the quality of water feeding into the Yarra and argued that the use of the land for recreation and for growing commercial turf would increase the agricultural production.
Mr Deiden said the discharge from the Lilydale Treatment plant which discharges into the Olinda Creek and then the Yarra River would be utilised.
“We propose to take a great deal of that effluent and use it on the site, further treat it through the wetlands and discharge it to the Yarra River in a much cleaner state than it is currently put in to that same river,” he said.
He said Melbourne Water had approved a list of chemicals and pesticides that could safely be used and that 30,000 trees and 400,000 plants would be planted to add to the environmental benefit.
He said an in-depth heritage plan had been undertaken to deal with the heritage issues.
Supporting the application councillor Richard Higgins said the applicant had gone to extreme lengths to accommodate environmental concerns and argued the project would generate tourism.
He said the addition of Eastern Golf Club to the existing golf clubs would create a precinct which would be a drawcard for international visitors.
Cr Dunn however spoke against the proposal, calling on fellow councillors to apply precautionary principals in view of the proximity to the Yarra River.
She said she had concerns about “the water-hungry nature” of the project.
“The application talks about water licences for 70 megalitres overland flow, 200 megalitres of B-class recycled water, 250 megalitres of water from the yarra River and 120 kilolitres to be collected from the roof.
“That is a staggering amount of water,” she said.
Cr Dunn also voiced concerns about chemical and fertiliser use and the potential culling of kangaroos for native vegetation preservation.
She said the project was poor use of green wedge land and being away from townships was not good for tourism either.
Cr Dunn described the proposal for growing turf as a “mickey mouse loop- hole”.
“I think it probably complies, but I don’t think it does anything to promote agriculture in the shire and don’t think it is sustainable,” she said.
“I don’t see that as sustainable land management and in keeping with the green wedge area,” she said.
Crs Cox, Cliff, McRae and Dunn voted against the application which went through on the votes of Crs Heenan, Higgins, Warren, Avery and Templer.