By Parker McKenzie
Knox City Council has refused two planning permits for a controversial development in Knoxfield, after receiving over 1000 objections from the public.
The council voted to reject two planning permits from Development Victoria — the Victorian State Government’s self-described developmental arm — after receiving more than 1170 objections between the two applications.
Knox Mayor Marcia said in an online statement that the proposal had failed to balance the development of the site with respecting the sensitive biodiversity.
“The proposal will detrimentally impact protected species, particularly the Blue-billed Duck and possibly the Dwarf Galaxais, and Council is not convinced that the future habitat proposed for these species will be viable,” she said.
“The proposal detrimentally impacts protected vegetation and will not provide an appropriate balance between the need for additional housing while respecting the existing ecology of the site, the surrounding area and Blind Creek corridor.”
Before the council meeting on Monday 12 December, Knox City Council officers recommended the committee “issue a notice of refusal to grant a planning permit for the subdivision of land in stages, removal of native vegetation, creation of access to a road in a transport zone, and associated and buildings,” and “issue a notice of refusal to grant a planning permit for a utility installation, removal of native vegetation and associated buildings and works at 521 Burwood Highway, Knoxfield.”
They gave seven grounds for recommending the rejection, including that it was inconsistent with “environmental objectives and the relevant decision guidelines of the environmental significance overlay,” because the proposal has the “potential to detrimentally impact habitat of species which are protected,” particularly the blue-billed duck and dwarf galaxias.
The second permit was recommended to be rejected based on five grounds, including the same environmental concerns.
Located at the corner of 621 Burwood Highway and Scoresby Road in Knoxfield, the site was formerly the Scoresby Horticultural Research Station, which was opened in 1956, according to Ray Peace from the Knox Historical Society.
Mr Peace said the station originally occupied both sides of Burwood Highway and remained that way for over 30 years.
“I don’t have an exact date for when Lake Knox was built, because in its early days it was impossible for the public to access the lake. That remained the case until the shared use path was built along Blind Creek in the early 1980s,” he said.
“The second lake south of the highway was constructed in 1985, just before the rest of the southern section was subdivided as residential. The research station finally closed in 2014, and the station archives were handed over to KHS.”
Development Victoria has been contacted for comment and this story will be updated if a response is received.
