Shop plan check out

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
YARRA Ranges councillors have handballed the final decision on the controversial Seville supermarket and commercial precinct to a panel to be appointed by state Planning Minister Justin Madden.
Councillors Noel Cliff, Jeanette McRae, Samantha Dunn and Tim Heenan all opposed the development out rightly at the council meeting on Tuesday last week, 27 July.
The councillors who moved the motion to take the decision to a panel either remained silent or said there were too many issues left unresolved and conflicting reports that required further scrutiny before a decision was made.
The land proposed for the development, 547-585 Warburton Highway, is currently occupied by a Shell Service Station, a panel beater’s workshop and a number of other shops along the highway.
If approved a 3394 square metre supermarket, 17 shops, medical practice, petrol station, car wash, large car park and more are proposed to stand in their place, and one hectare of land would need to be re-zoned from a residential to a business zone.
The plan was opposed at the council last October by the owners of Entwistle’s Supa IGA Supermarket in Seville, as well as a number of residents, and opened up for community consultation in April this year.
The council received a total of 213 submissions opposing the amendment and 483 submissions supporting it; as well as a petition with 1078 signatures opposing the proposal and a petition with 795 signatures in support of the proposal.
Cr Noel Cliff said he was convinced the proposal was “a dud” and said the existing supermarkets already filter the business of smaller shops.
“Now we’re going to bring in a monster and wipe out some of the smaller shops. These guys can’t be expected to survive if they lose 40 per cent of their trade,” he said.
Cr Richard Higgins helped carry the motion to take it to an independent panel.
He said one group wants the development for all the right reasons and one group does not want it for all the right reasons.
“I’m torn between the idea of big supermarkets taking over little supermarkets or a little supermarket holding the monopoly over a town,” he said.
Cr Graham Warren said the proposal was not fantastic and it needed another level of scrutiny.
“I have not offered my opinion on the amendment, but it does need considered debate because, ultimately, it is the community of Seville that will impact,” he said.
The panel will not have the final say, but the council is recommended to base its decision on the recommendation of the panel.