By Parker McKenzie
Development Victoria will lodge an appeal against Knox City Council’s refusal to grant two planning permits at the site known locally as Lake Knox.
Knox City Council announced on Thursday 2 February that the development arm of the Victorian Government is lodging the appeal after the council rejected the permit applications at the corner of Burwood Highway and Scoresby Road.
“Council’s grounds for refusal included the impact of the proposals on a site of biological significance, including impacts on the Blue-billed Duck (a vulnerable species) and potential impact on the Dwarf Galaxais fish (an endangered species),” Knox City Council said.
“Other grounds included the proposed extensive removal of native vegetation, failing to provide an appropriate or active interface to Scoresby Road and the extent of the residential subdivision encroaching into the designated Mixed Use area of the Comprehensive Development Plan.”
The council said objectors, of which there were more than 1170 across both planning permits, will be notified by Development Victoria to outline what they need to do to become a party to the VCAT appeals.
Development Victoria’s Group Head Property Development Penny Forrest said an application with VCAT had been lodged, regarding planning permit applications recently refused by Knox City Council for stages one and two of the planned residential subdivision and the proposed wetland as part of the Knoxfield development.
“While we note the decision of Knox City Council, we remain committed to the development and the delivery of much-needed homes, affordable housing, an improved wetland habitat and water quality, green open spaces and other positive outcomes for the community and the environment.” she said.
Knox City Council rejected the two planning permits at a council meeting on Monday 12 December, after the council officers recommended against approving them.
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 galaxies.
The project includes subdividing the land 105 times to build townhouses up to three storeys in height, four large parks, a shared path network and wetlands. The development has proven controversial because of several hatchings of vulnerable blue-billed ducks being found at the dam and concerns about whether ecological outcomes could be recreated through building artificial wetlands.
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. The dam, which is what is known by locals at Lake Knox, is believed to have been used to irrigate research crops.
