Whittlesea council has thrown its support behind a plan to develop a large parcel of land in Donnybrook and Woodstock for a future residential population of about 46,000 people.
The council has made a submission to a draft Metropolitan Planning Authority plan called the Donnybrook Woodstock Precinct Structure Plan. The council submission outlines its support and recommendations.
The land covers 1786 hectares and is bound by Donnybrook Road, the E6 road reservation, the Melbourne-Sydney railway and Merriang Road.
In front of a packed council chamber last Tuesday, councillors addressed one of the final obstacles to the project – debating the merits of revisiting the sizes of two planned retail spaces.
One is north of Cameron Street with a proposed allocation of 6700-square-metres of retail and commercial floor space.
The other is at Donnybrook Farmhouse, owned by the Monteleone family, with a proposed allocation of 1000-square metres of retail floor space.
In its submission to the precinct structure plan, the Monteleone family requested the authority reduce the retail provision at Cameron Street to 1000 square metres and increase the family’s farmhouse’s retail area to 5000 square metres.
Caz Monteleone said the submission was not motivated by financial gain but was instead about creating a viable community precinct.
“It’s about delivering a supermarket that’s viable,” he said.
Councillors agreed to recommend that the authority review the allocation of retail floor-space.
Mr Monteleone said the family was delighted with the council’s recommendations.
“Good governance and common sense prevailed,” he said.
The Monteleones want to develop their Donnybrook Cheese Farm and restaurant businesses into a facility akin to Farm Vigano in South Morang or the Collingwood Children’s Farm.
Balancing priorities
MPA chief executive Peter Seamer said the authority’s role was to balance the range of competing objectives in favour of the best urban outcome for the future community.
“We take into account the various considerations of affected parties, but don’t plan having regard to the financial interests of individual landholders,” he said.
When completed, the plan will guide the development of about 16,400 dwellings, housing about 46,000 people, and is tipped to deliver more than 3000 local jobs.
A directions hearing before a Metropolitan Planning Authority-appointed independent panel has been scheduled for April 7. Panel hearings will begin on May 16 to discuss any unresolved submissions.
Click here to view the Donnybrook Woodstock Precinct Structure Plan and associated documents.
