Mount Alexander Shire councillors have approved contentious development plans at Sutton Grange Winery, which will more than double the capacity of the venue.
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Councillors gave the winery the green light to increase patronage from 6000 to 15,000 people for up to six events per year at a fiery council meeting in Castlemaine on Tuesday evening, where councillors heard from concerned residents and the winery owner.
Farmers and residents repeated previous concerns about how the increased volume of people would cause problems for emergency services during a bushfire, with one neighbour describing the area as a “tinderbox”.
Sutton Grange Winery owner Peter Sidwell said the venue had held events for seven or eight years without any complaints.
Councillor Christine Henderson said she understood residents’ concerns, but the organisers had to abide by extensive emergency management conditions.
Councillor Dave Petrusma, in objecting the planning amendment, said the area was one of the worst in the shire for falling tree branches, which was a concern for him.
“I would have liked a bit more of time to resolve the objections,” he said.
Four councillors voted on the plans, approving it 3:1, however there were calls from the public gallery to delay a decision given a few late objections to the proposal, which now total seven.
Sutton Grange Winery applied for the variation of the planning permit to allow for an increased audience size for the planned Neil Diamond concert in March, which was cancelled in January.
Meanwhile, councillors voted to remove the moratorium on funeral services in the shire’s public spaces, which was greeted with claps and cheers in the public gallery.
The council will temporarily allow funerals with caskets held away from main thoroughfares if organised in consultation with council staff.
The shire put a blanket ban on funeral services in its public spaces following a complaint about a funeral held in the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens late last year.
Mayor Bronwen Machin expressed sympathy to the family whose funeral sparked the debate.
“I hope this didn’t add to the stress for them,” she said.
In the interim the council will develop a formal position on the use of council’s parks and open spaces for funerals and memorial services.