THE Mount Alexander Shire council is waiting on further information before deciding whether a proposed third supermarket for Castlemaine will go ahead.
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The application has been referred to authorities including the North Central Catchment Management Authority, Goulburn Murray Water, the Department of Transport, Coliban Water and the Environmental Protection Authority.
Council director of infrastructure and development Jess Howard statutory planners were waiting on more technical information from the relevant authorities before the matter is taken to councillors for a decision.
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"Once our statutory planners receive all information required, they can assess the application in accordance with the requirements of the Mount Alexander Planning Scheme, and make a recommendation for consideration by councillors at a future council meeting," Ms Howard said.
"We know that there is much community interest in the planning for a new supermarket which has been in the pipeline and the subject of discussion over several years.
"While studies have shown a new supermarket could provide a net community benefit to the shire through increased retail spending, employment, and construction, developments of this nature also raise planning matters such as visual amenity, impact on local traffic and parking and cyclist and pedestrian safety."
A date for the decision on the proposed supermarket has not been set.
Plans show the supermarket - which will be a Woolworths - will be 3400 square metres with a 200 square metre bottle shop and an additional 192 square metre shop.
It will be located near the corner of Duke, Forest and Urquhart streets.
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Development plans for the supermarket were originally approved in 2018 following an independent planning panel 2017 recommendation that the land be re-zoned.
Amended plans in 2019 saw the proposal grow from a 1500 square-metre supermarket to a 3400 square metre plan. Those plans indicate the supermarket will be a Woolworths.
Plans also include a 200 square metre bottle shop, 43 on-site car parking spaces and a 2345 square metre basement comprising of 77 car parking spaces.
The application was put on display to the public in September last year.,
Council has, so far, received more than 140 submissions regarding the proposal.
Anyone wishing to view the supermarket application or make a submission should visit www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au or contact 5471 1700.