Whittlesea council is calling for submissions for the proposed development of a 16-hectare site abutting Plenty Gorge in South Morang.
A development plan for the contentious site detailing how the land will be carved up has been submitted to the council and is open for public comment until July 9.
The plan follows the council’s controversial decision in November to rezone the land for medium-density housing on a ridgeline overlooking the gorge.
After the request to amend the Whittlesea Planning Scheme was made public in March last year, the council received 10 formal submissions and a petition with 273 signatures objecting to the rezoning.
Four submissions were from neighbours and the rest from the Country Fire Authority, the Department of Environment and Primary Industries, VicRoads, Melbourne Water, Yarra Valley Water and SP AusNet.
A planning panel was convened to consider the submissions, most of which centred on traffic congestion, the lack of exit routes from the development in the case of an emergency, and its proximity to Plenty Gorge parkland.
While the rezoning went ahead, residents’ concerns have not been entirely allayed by the new development plan, released this month.
Residents in the neighbouring Bellevue Estate have expressed concerns on social media.
James O’Connell, who lives in Pemba Avenue, said he was worried about the “traffic nightmare” the development would bring.
“There’s no access from Gorge Road so they’ll be coming down our road and I think it’s a bit much,” he said. “People moved here for the gorge so as not to be near a development.”
Whittlesea councillor Ken Harris abstained from voting in November, declaring a conflict of interest as he lives nearby. Last week he labelled the proposal an “over-development” and cited increased traffic along Gorge Road as a serious concern if it got the go-ahead.
But Friends of South Morang member and Bellevue Estate resident James Somerville, said he was “superficially happy with the new plan”, but intended to clarify certain issues with Whittlesea’s planning department.
But Mr Somerville described the new document as “very scant; they’ve basically rehashed the old one”.
Residents who wish to make a submission must do so in writing before July 9.
