Win-win wedge

By CASEY NEILL
A NEW development proposed for the Glenfern Road green wedge is good for the community and the environment, according to the land’s owners.
But group Save the Glenfern Green Wedge/Cattle Run is urging people to sign an online petition calling on Knox City Council to oppose it.
The 77-acre Upper Ferntree Gully property was the subject of a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) appeal last year after the council rejected plans to divide it into seven lots.
On 17 November VCAT ruled that 157-173 Glenfern Road should not be split into seven parcels but said: “we want to make it clear that we do not agree with any suggestion that this land should remain un-subdivided.”
Its four owners this month lodged a new application for subdivision with Knox City Council and one, Nick Peterson, told the Mail they had listened to VCAT’s concerns about the initial plan.
He said they now proposed splitting the two lots that exist currently to create five, averaging 13 acres each.
The land is zoned Green Wedge 2 which requires a minimum 10 acres per house.
“We have ensured that the community and the environment are well catered for in this new application,” Mr Peterson said.
“The open vista of the valley has been fully maintained in the new plan.
“Our proposed building and driveway envelope sitings do not require one single tree on the site to be removed.
“We will be planting in excess of 3000 plants on the five lots as well.”
The owners will donate more than 10 acres of land to the council to allow rehabilitation along Ferny Creek and a possible walking trail from Glenfern Valley Bushlands to the Kings Park area through the Ferny Creek Reserve.
Mr Peterson said the owners had held positive discussions with Friends of Glenfern Valley Bushlands and opponents in creating the plans.
“We don’t want to see this cut up either,” he said.
“This is not perfect, but it’s a very good solution for the whole community.”
He said the Lizza family had owned the land for more than 50 years and grazed cattle there.
“But there’s no money in cattle,” he said.
“They’re farmers but need other jobs to support their income.
“(The subdivision) gives us options.”
But more than 700 people have liked the Save the Glenfern Green Wedge/Cattle Run Facebook page, which calls for help to save the “environmentally important and unique, heritage and trust-listed land from subdivision and development, for future generations of Australians to enjoy”.
“A five-lot subdivision and all that this entails might be nice in suburbia, but this is not suburbia,” a post on the page last week read.
“Its value environmentally, culturally, and aesthetically will be destroyed forever by the subdivision.”
The group said the land was adjacent to two flora and fauna reserves, was part of an important wildlife corridor, and was the last remaining undeveloped section of Ferny Creek.
It plans to present its petition against subdivision to Knox councillors in the next six weeks.
Knox Council city development director Angelo Kourambas said the council was currently conducting an initial assessment of the application.
“Our next step will be to exhibit the application and then report it to a future council meeting for decision,” he said.
“No dates have yet been set for this.”