“We’ve been fighting this for 20 years.”
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Some residents backing onto a proposed Strathfieldsaye retirement village are gearing up for the latest sub-division wrangle, others have sold up and moved on, while a select few have just moved in, unaware of plans for a 196-lot estate.
Julie Bulger has organised a petition urging the City of Greater Bendigo to not approve development plans at Strathfieldsaye Road, near the Ryalls Lane intersection.
The site has a history of subdivision problems, she said.
In 2014 residents and the landholder had ‘agreed’ in principle to a 69-lot subdivision. They have heard nothing since, but were alerted to updated plans in October last year when one resident spotted an advertising sign on fence bordering the land’s perimeter.
The latest development has angered the local community, many of whom believe the development was inappropriate in a semi-rural area, and would devalue properties surrounding the village.
There are also fire risk and flooding concerns, with the petition suggesting the “gross over development of the site affects the safety of nearby residents”.
The City of Greater Bendigo on Friday confirmed it had 68 objections to the proposal.
COGB statutory planning manager Ross Douglas recently said further information has been requested by referral authorities like the Country Fire Authority the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
“Given the number of objections, it is likely the application (and the accompanying petition) will be presented to council (Bendigo councillors) for a decision later this year,” he said.
Gannon Lifestyle Communities chief executive officer Jane Monk said the development would comply with necessary flood and fire regulations.
