Fight goes on

By Tania Martin
MT EVELYN residents are calling for an appeal for a Safeway supermarket to be dismissed after they say VCAT guidelines were ignored.
A busload of concerned residents is now heading to VCAT on Friday for a directions hearing in the hope that the appeal will be stopped.
Mt Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association president Francis Smith said the developer had failed to follow the VCAT guidelines and that the matter should be ‘struck out’.
Mr Smith said the developer had breached several guidelines in its appeal to VCAT.
He said more than a third of objectors weren’t notified and that the developer also failed to send out a statement of grounds for the appeal.
Mr Smith said many of the objectors are now very confused about the whole process and are hoping that VCAT prevails on Friday and dismisses the developer’s appeal.
The proposed development is for a supermarket with five speciality stores plus a two-storey car park on the corner of Snowball Avenue and Station Street.
Nearby residents have been campaigning to stop the development of another supermarket in town started in 2003 when the land on the corner of Snowball Avenue and Station Street was rezoned from residential to business.
It was originally proposed to use the land for a pharmacy, doctor’s surgery and car park.
Nearby residents withdrew their objections to make way for the development of the pharmacy.
But as time passed residents saw the development wasn’t going ahead and fears of a supermarket grew rife.
Since then the people of Mt Evelyn have campaigned to rezone the land as residential following speculation that the land would be used for a Safeway supermarket.
In May residents won a small victory when the Shire of Yarra Ranges refused the application for the supermarket development.
Mr Smith said the fight was never going to end there and wasn’t surprised when the developer filed an appeal with VCAT.
But he said it was concerning that the developer hadn’t followed the guidelines set out by VCAT for the appeal process.
Mr Smith said many of the objectors had been confused and don’t know where they stand.
But he said this was not the first time that residents have been left questioning the developer’s actions.
They said that in March, when the proposal was first advertised, the developer put up signs with the wrong closing date for submissions.
Mr Smith said the residents have again been ‘stuffed around’ by the developer by not being given the correct information.
Mayor Tim Heenan said the council would be doing everything in its power to fight the appeal and uphold the decision to refuse the development.
Cr Heenan said residents have fought long and hard against the development and they just want it all to be over.
Anyone interested in taking the trip to VCAT can catch a bus from outside the IGA supermarket at 8am on Friday morning or can call Mr Smith on 9736 3864 or 9736 4238 for more information.