THE shape, size and layout of a proposed subdivision in Aspinall Street was the focus of the second day of a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing in Bendigo on Wednesday.
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A proposal to subdivide part of the bushland at 134-166 Aspinall Street, Golden Square, is opposed by the Aspinall Action Group, who say the site is one of significance for native vegetation.
Owners of the private land, the Diocese of Sandhurst, have gifted the reserve land to the City of Greater Bendigo.
Aspinall Action Group lawyer George Ryan outlined the major differences between the permit application and the initial subdivision application, which went to VCAT in 2010.
Mr Ryan said the current proposal would have a bigger footprint on the area with more lots on a slightly smaller amount of land.
"If this was about five per cent of the land, we wouldn't be here," he said.
"I feel we do have to make the case this is a special case. With significant vegetation, the whole starts to become very important.
"It's a reference site for what Box Ironbark forests should ideally look like, we want future generations to have the chance to see it."
The tribunal then heard from the applicant's witness ecologist consultant, Lincoln Kern, who was previously the Aspinall Action Group's expert witness in the 2010 tribunal.
Mr Kern said as an ecologist he was conflicted about any part of the existing habitat disappearing, but that it was important to work with the permit applicant to try and find the best ecological outcomes for the site.
He said the current proposal located the subdivision in the southern half of the site because it had less significant habitat value.
"It's a good compromise for this site, the northern half is the best half for habitat," he said.
"Reshaping this subdivision will be really difficult."
The tribunal also heard from another ecologist consultant, Aaron Organ, who was contracted by the permit applicant to conduct an independent review of the site.
He believed should the planned development go ahead, Bendigo Council would implement a bushland management plan purely for conservation purposes.
"We shouldn't shy away from fact the remaining land is going to be gifted to council," he said.
"That's a fairly significant outcome."
