New life for restaurant

By Tania Martin
A VACANT Ferny Creek restaurant could soon open if a draft planning scheme amendment is given the tick of approval.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges last Tuesday night called for the Minister of Planning, Justin Madden, to approve an amendment to allow the restaurant to operate.
The vacant 100-seat restaurant, at 261 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Ferny Creek, is currently in a green wedge zone, and is prohibited from operating.
The restaurant was approved following a VCAT decision in 2000, which granted a planning application for the 100-seat restaurant. But the restaurant has remained dormant since construction finished in 2005 because of the issues with zoning and a need to extend the operating hours.
According to the council, the land was originally zoned rural living, which became green wedge, when the State Government introduced new planning legislation in 2004, which has led to the prohibition on the use of the restaurant.
Under the green wedge legislation a restaurant is a prohibited use unless it operates in conjunction with an agricultural or outdoor recreation facility such as a winery.
Cr Noel Cliff said the restaurant building had been lying dormant for too long and that the planning scheme amendment would allow it to open.
“The sooner the better we get this up and running because all the restaurant is doing at the moment is sitting there collecting cobwebs,” he said.
The council is calling for the site’s zoning to be amended so that the restaurant can operate and has also approved a planning permit to extend the restaurant’s opening hours on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm to 11pm.
But Cr Ken Smith disagreed with this move and called for the council to defer the application to allow the community to be consulted. “We have made a point of being open and transparent and we should apply that to this application,” he said.
But the council agreed that once the planning scheme amendment was formalised then it would be advertised to the community and residents would have ample opportunity to have their say.
But Cr Cliff said once the draft amendment was made the community would be given the chance to object or support it.
“We have no intention of hiding this under a bush and will be open and transparent,” he said.