Mount Alexander Shire Council has been caught out in a planning error after a council officer issued a planning permit for an application that should have been decided by councillors.
The officer issued a permit for a $1.8M housing development at 29 Forest Street, Castlemaine, which should have been called in before council because it was valued at more than $1M.
The development includes a two-lot subdivision and buildings and works for the construction of a dwelling on each lot.
Council’s director of infrastructure and development, Michael Annear, said council had recently been made aware of a procedural error in relation to the matter, considered in mid-2022.
“The error relates to an internal council procedure for planning application delegations, where the planning permit was issued by a council officer, rather than being decided by council,” Mr Annear said.
“The planning permit was issued in accordance with the Mount Alexander Shire Planning Scheme.”
Mr Annear said council processes had now been updated to avoid such errors occurring.
