Town apathy slammed

– Kath Gannaway
THREE Healesville residents who objected to the re-subdivision of the former Healesville sawmill site at the entrance to Healesville have hit out at the apathy of Healesville residents who they say seem unconcerned about the intrusion of industrial development on the town’s entrances.
Nan Evans, Healesville Environment Watch secretary, Maureen Bond and Cr Jeanette McRae (who lodged her objection as a resident prior to becoming a Yarra Ranges councillor) have appealed to residents to play a more active role in planning issues.
As reported in the Mail last week, the granting of VCAT approval for re-subdivision of the 3.37 hectare area of industrial land on the corner of Maroondah Highway and Mt Riddell Road into three large lots, leaves the way open for factory and other large-scale retail development.
Ms McRae said she had argued for 10 metre buffers along all boundaries and was intensely disappointed with the VCAT decision which provided inadequate buffer zones along three sides and no buffer along the highly visible Mt Riddell Road boundary.
She said provision for access and egress points to Maroondah Highway, despite the fact they were not included on the exhibited plans, would not only compromise the 7.5 metre buffer allowed for but would severely impact on highway traffic and nearby residents.
Ms Bond said she wrote a letter to the Mail when the issue of re-subdivision first arose calling for public comment.
“I didn’t get one, not one phone call,” she said.
She said HEWI none-the-less argued in its submission that the unique rural qualities of Healesville’s town entry should be protected.
“VCAT decisions are based on the shire’s own policies and HEWI is constantly advocating for the revision of zoning overlays that are inconsistent with present community expectations for environmentally based development in rural areas,” she said.
She said the increasing number of applications for industrial developments highlighted the shire’s need for experienced environmental planning staff and called on the current council to address that issue in the upcoming budget.
Standing at the entrance to the site last week, Nan Evans said she feared a repeat of the Giant Steps Winery development, which she dubbed the ‘block of stone’, at the East End of Healesville.
“I thought after that development, people should be concerned about the sawmill site.
“I let a lot of people know about the potential for a repeat of that development but apparently no-one was concerned.
“That’s the sad part,” she said.