An amended development plan for Gisborne’s Ross Watt Road has failed to gain the support of Macedon Ranges Shire Council.
Decision on the hotly contested large-scale development will fall to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal later this month.
Speaking to the council’s position last week, Cr Anne Moore said the plan as presented was “at all levels, just not on”.
”The amount of angst in our community that this has brought about is beyond belief,” she said.
First lodged in November 2021, the subdivision layout plan included in the application for the 85-hectare residential site proposes 700+ lots, a childcare centre and neighbourhood shops.
The property at 89 Ross Watt Road is situated between the Rosslynne Reservoir and the Calder Freeway northeast of Gisborne town centre.
Cr Moore said the development plan was “out of character for the area” and the council needed to created a soft interface between townships.
“I do hope that VCAT takes a good hard look at this and thinks maybe this isn’t right because of its visibility from the Calder and visual impacts from surrounding townships,” she said.
Councillors unanimously sided with planning officer advice to refuse the development plan on several grounds including its “unacceptable” response to biodiversity, waterways, bushfire, catchment planning management, built environment, and environment and landscape values.
The council rejected the initial plan in 2022, which attracted more than 50 community submissions at the time.
A compulsory conference was facilitated at VCAT in November and December between the council, the applicant and several referral agencies.
The parties could not agree on the outcomes of the development plan application or the outcome of the planning permit.
A VCAT hearing for the amended plan is expected to be held later this month.
