Castlemaine’s third supermarket will again be a topic of discussion at Mount Alexander Shire Council’s first meeting of 2022 tonight.
Council will consider its position heading into the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing next month, in light of new plans for the proposed supermarket submitted to VCAT by Lascorp Investment Group in early December.
The proposal to build the large Woolworths supermarket (3300m2) and two accompanying retail shops is currently before VCAT after the developer lodged a review with VCAT in May 2021 after council failed to determine the application within the prescribed time.
Council knocked back approval for the controversial proposal at its July 2021 meeting. Council had received 178 objections to the permit.
Permission for a smaller supermarket (1500m2) was previously granted on the site in April 2018.
According to the agenda for tonight’s meeting, council officers will recommend that the newly elected council support the latest plans.
The recommendation is a backflip on the advice of the previous council officer, and would overturn the previous council’s decision.
However, council could uphold the original decision not to support the proposal. As the final decision would be made by VCAT, it would fall upon council’s representation to defend that position and the permit applicant to justify the issuing of a permit.
Lobby group Size Matters spokesperson Kaye Swanton said the group would be extremely disappointed if the current council was to support the council officer’s latest recommendation.
“There are so many aspects of this application that have not yet been responded to,” Ms Swanton said.
“In our view the latest plans are still a major overdevelopment of that site and would have enormous ramifications for Castlemaine forever. Particularly on traffic,” she said.
The group also questioned how the developer could assume use of council land (road reserves) for car parking at the southern end of Urquhart Street and at the east of the site along the boundary with the neighbouring Duke Street property, currently the subject of a planning application for a childcare centre, for use as a loading dock area.
“If council does support the recommendation this is just one of the many issues that will need to be resolved at VCAT,” Ms Swanton said.
However, there was also overwhelming support for another supermarket expressed when news of the agenda item was shared on our social media channels on Friday. Although some would prefer to see it on another site.
Lascorp Investment Group national development manager Rob Harris said the new plans had incorporated council’s requirements, including a signalised intersection.
Mr Harris said the mezzanine level had been moved to the rear of the building to minimise impact and the parapet had been lowered as requested by council.
“Council officers will be recommending support of the plans on Tuesday night but ultimately the decision is up to the councillors,” he said.
Mr Harris said that while the Woolworths logos did not appear on the latest plans it was to be a Woolworths supermarket.
“We have a signed contract. If approved it will be a Woolworths,” he said.
