Sawmiller zoned out

By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE tree-salvage operator Wayne Schild says he is paying the price for past mistakes by Healesville and Yarra Ranges councils.
Mr Schild owns Sawrite Pty Ltd and wants land he owns and operates his business from in Heritage Lane, Healesville, rezoned Industrial 3 Zone. Yarra Ranges Council is seeking an amendment to rezone the land from its current Public use Zone 1 to Green Wedge Zone 0.
The council in June decided to get an independent panel to review the matter but last week rejected the panel’s recommendation that they abandon their amendment until a planned review of industrial areas and a planned report on industrial land in relation to the Urban Growth Boundary were completed and adopted by the council.
The rezoning seeks to rectify an “anomaly” which has the land still zoned public use but which abuts green wedge zoned property.
Mr Schild argued in council that the purpose of the amendment was to “clean up an anomaly” and rezone the land to the correct zoning.
“That is not the preferred zoning of the council, the owners, or the neighbours, but the most appropriate zoning, considering the location, attributes, site history, future use, planning policy and further strategic work,” he said.
He said the panel report was inconclusive about what the zoning should be and called for the council to take the time to get it right.
Mr Schild told the Mail is was absurd for the council to claim there was an urgency to rezoning the land which he said had been incorrectly zoned for 20 years.
He said his battle with the council to get the land zoned Industrial 3 had cost tens of thousands of dollars and that green wedge zoning was likely to have a devastating effect on the value of the property, and the family-run business.
The council report argued however that it was in the best interest of Mr Schild stating “ … the current Public Use Zone restricts the landowner’s ability to use and develop the site and is inappropriate for land in private ownership.”
It further stated that Green Wedge Zoning allowed the continued operation of the existing permit for a sawmill and was consistent with state and local planning provisions.
Cr McRae moved the motion to proceed with the amendment, saying the rezoning was a tidy-up mechanism which allowed the business to operate and a logical move that should be supported.
“VCAT have made that decision (approving the current planning permit) based on an underlying Green Wedge Zone,” she said.
Cr Dunn supported the motion, saying it was a complicated matter but that she was satisfied the green wedge zone was the correct outcome.
Cr Tim Heenan however was the one dissenting vote. He said the property lent itself more to an Industrial 3 Zone and added he was disappointed the matter had been left swinging for so long.