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Billboard permit denied

The North Central Review
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Billboard permit denied

By Jackson Russell

A planning application for a billboard on the Northern Highway at the northern entrance to Kilmore has been knocked back by Mitchell Shire Council.

Councillors unanimously agreed to refuse the planning permit at 111 Northern Highway, Kilmore after council officers found the application failed to meet the objectives and strategies of more than a dozen clauses of the Mitchell Structure Scheme.

The council officer recommendation said the proposal failed to contribute to an attractive gateway to the Kilmore township, did not fit comfortably in the surrounding landscape and disregarded the Kilmore Structure Plan’s direction to enhance the town’s heritage.

The land is located on the northern banks of Kilmore Creek and land surrounding the site includes industrial sites to the north, Kilmore Caravan Park to the east, the under-construction Kilmore Village Shopping Centre to the south, and conservation and recreation zoned land to the west.

The proposed sign facing northbound drivers measured 8.4 metres wide by 5.5 metres high while the southbound drivers would have seen a 12.6 metre wide by 5.5 metre high sign.

Central ward councillor Annie Goble said she supported the officers’ decision to refuse the application.

“It would be a really ugly blight on the entrance to the heritage town of Kilmore,” she said.

“I fully support the recommendation to refuse it and I thank our staff for considering the community’s views on these things and making such a wise decision.”

Central ward councillor David Atkinson said there were many reasons not to have large signs in the shire’s historical towns.

“The last time we had the sign come before us, I said it was basically the back wall of the council chambers and this isn’t much different,” he said.

“We’ve refused signs before and I think we should be consistent in refusing this one as well.”

Surprise parcels from QLD

The North Central Review
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Surprise parcels from QLD

SOME Kilmore residents were pleasantly surprised to open their mailboxes and receive hand-crafted masks from Queensland last month.

Kilmore resident Joanne Ruth said she felt joyous when opening the envelope.

“I felt ‘warm fuzzies’ when I opened the envelope. It put a smile on my face. They came out of the blue, totally unexpected. My neighbours also received masks,” she said.

Enclosed with the masks was a letter from the Tin Can Bay Craft Club in Queensland, wishing the people of Victoria well during the pandemic.

‘Hello from sunny Queensland…we are sorry to hear that you are experiencing difficulties down in Victoria with the spread of COVID-19, and the ladies of our craft club wanted to let you know we are thinking of you,’ the letter read.

‘Enclosed, please find two three-layer cotton masks to help you with your journeys when you venture out. If you cannot make use of them, please pass them on to someone else to use.

‘Adjust the elastics on the mask so it will fit snugly on your face…keep safe and know that we are thinking of you.’

The letter also detailed instructions on the proper cleaning of the masks to ensure they were rid of any germs or bacteria after being worn.

“I have written a letter to thank the ladies in Tin Can Bay,” Ms Ruth said.

“Random acts of kindness can really brighten a person’s day and give them a more positive outlook.

“Having Australians from other states showing such kindness doesn’t make us feel so isolated and ostracised in Victoria.”

Council accused of using outside trades

The North Central Review
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Council accused of using outside trades

By Jackson Russell

Mitchell Shire Council has come under fire for allegedly using tradespeople from other areas through the Working for Victoria program, rather than hiring those within the shire.

The Working for Victoria program has been introduced across the state to help eople who have lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Mitchell Shire trades business, which wished to remain anonymous, told the North Central Review council had been using trades workers from Melbourne through the program.

Council received $3.8 million from the State Government to support 74 full-time roles and one part-time to help business and community recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

The roles included administration, health care, community support and services, maintenance, and cleaning.

Of the roles, eight tradespeople have been employed by council under the scheme for six-month terms.

A representative of the trades business said local trades were also affected by the pandemic.

“They have no work locally nor can they travel to Melbourne to work on sites as they are impacted by stage-four lockdown rules,” they said.

“Why can’t [council] look after local trades instead of sourcing outside our area? Especially when the scheme is supposed to support local jobs first.”

When questioned by the Review, council did not confirm nor deny the employment of tradespeople from Melbourne through the Working for Victoria program.

Chief executive Brett Luxford said the employment of eight tradespeople through the program had allowed council to undertake a range of additional maintenance projects that would assist in the health and safety of the community.

“Importantly the roles have assisted council and its contractors to make strong inroads into our maintenance program,” he said.

“With council pushing ahead with its 2020-21 capital works program despite the challenges associated with COVID-19, our capital funding will be targeted at new, renewal, upgrade and expansion projects including buildings, plant and equipment, roads, footpaths and cycleways, bridges, recreation, leisure and community facilities, waste management, parks, open space and streetscapes.

“These works will need the support of contractors to deliver and we encourage our local tradies to participate in tender and quotation opportunities.”

The State Government was approached for comment but did not respond before deadline.

Theft at Tyaak property

The North Central Review
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Theft at Tyaak property

Mitchell Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a burglary at Tyaak last month.

Investigators believe a man attended a property on Cunninghams Road about midday on Wednesday, August 19 and broke into the residence and multiple sheds on the property.

A badly damaged ute, a tandem trailer, three motorcycles and several tools were stolen.

Two of the motorcycles have since been recovered in Craigieburn, but the remaining items are still missing.

When the vehicle he arrived in was bogged, the offender stole the victim’s ute and trailer.

The ute did not have any licence plates on it and also had a smashed front windscreen.

The victim said the ute had a blown head and would have struggled to make it to Craigieburn where the motorcycles were found.

Images and CCTV footage have been released of a man police believe may be able to assist in their enquiries.

The offender is believed to be 25 to 30 years old, with a thin build, fair complexion and distinctive mark on his cheek.

At the time of the offence, he was wearing blue jeans, a black hoodie and black or dark coloured baseball cap.

Bus depot robbed

Detectives are also investigating a burglary at Seymour Bus Depot on Tuesday, August 25.

Two offenders gained access to the yard and a gated storage area about 11.30pm, where they stole several power tools and cleaning equipment.

The offenders were in the yard for about 25 minutes before leaving.

Anyone with information on either incident is urged to call Senior Constable Amy Voisey on 5735 0216, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Sydney Street subdivison denied

The North Central Review
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Sydney Street subdivison denied

By Jackson Russell

A four-lot subdivision in Sydney Street Kilmore was unanimously stopped by Mitchell Shire councillors at last month’s reconvened council meeting.

Picking up from where they left off after a marathon three-hour meeting two weeks ago, councillors all agreed to accept the officer recommendation to deny the permit for a three-dwelling, four-lot subdivision behind the old Colonial Bank building at 39 Sydney Street, Kilmore, owned by Rose King.

A total of 164 objections were received for the development, which is under a commercial zone and a heritage overlay.

Six planning permits had previously been issued to the site, including for four townhouses as part of a five-lot subdivision.

The application’s denial comes nine months after an application for a food truck park at the property next door by developer Alan Wilson was also denied.

Ms King said she objected to the food truck park purely on heritage grounds.

Mr Wilson was one of the objectors to Ms King’s subdivision due to the residential development being in a commercial zone.

The application proposed to build three dwellings behind the existing building facing Sydney Street, one double-storey and two single-storey, consisting of two or three bedrooms, an open-plan living area and double garage accessed by a driveway on the property’s southern boundary.

Council officers noted that with only four of the 78 shopfronts in the Kilmore town centre being vacant, available commercial land should be used for commercial or retail development to meet the future needs of the town.

Among the 164 objections, concerns included the use of commercial land for residential development, increased traffic, pedestrian access.

Council officers recommended the permit be denied as it was inconsistent with seven clauses of the Mitchell Planning Scheme, Kilmore Structure Plan and Kilmore Town Centre Plan.

North ward councillor Bill Chisholm said the decision boiled down to the proposed development being inappropriate in a commercial area.

“If Kilmore is to grow and we’ve got to plan for the future, this land will probably be extremely critical in the commercial sense so we’ve got to look to the future and not just the current residential developments,” he said.

“I think it’s important that we encourage commercial development, especially in this, you could say in some ways, depressed area of Kilmore, because we’ve got good growth at both ends of Kilmore and we’ve really got to revitalise the centre.”

Central ward councillor Bob Humm concurred, saying the proposed development was not like most in a commercial area.

“If it was a commercial business that was in there and there were units above it, you’d consider that type of thing but to be standalone units like they’re doing, I don’t think that fits in that area,” he said.

Underground cable project to be investigated

The North Central Review
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Underground cable project to be investigated

By Jackson Russell

Mitchell Shire councillor Rhonda Sanderson has asked council officers to investigate the possibility of running powerlines underground in Tallarook Street, Seymour.

The north ward councillor said the boulevard of plane trees was ‘much-loved’ by many residents with a beautiful display of autumn colours known to attract people.

However, on one side of the street, the trees have been drastically pruned to make space for overhead powerlines.

“Anyone who’s been through Seymour usually approaches through Tallarook Street, which used to get around 600 cars a day coming through pre-COVID-19, and they would notice the trees that line both sides of the road and notice about halfway along, suddenly there is severe pruning,” she said.

“Along the rest of the street, there are quite large branches and it’s quite a nice avenue.

“The reason for the severe pruning is the electrical cables which run through the trees on one side of the street so I’m seeking a report on the options available to us.”

Council officers noted the works would involve boring cables along 700 metres of Tallarook Street, relocating numerous electrical substations, reconnection works on private land and even new street lighting.

The initial estimate of the cost to relocate the cables is between $1.7 million and $2 million, while the annual cost of pruning the trees is $15,000.

North ward councillor Fiona Stevens said she was pleased to see the motion.

“For those that live in the area, not just those that visit, it breaks our heart every time these trees are pruned,” she said.

“They look quite ridiculous and there’s always a wonder if they’re going to fall over because they’re always so unbalanced.

“I look forward to the results of the officers’ inquiries because it’s not just above the trees.

“That’s the problem – it’s the roots of the trees also so any underground cabling is not going to be easy, but it’s certainly something that needs to be looked into and hopefully once our options are identified, we could look at how it, could possibly be funded.”

Slow steps forward

The North Central Review
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Slow steps forward

By Jackson Russell

Premier Daniel Andrews’ road map for regional Victorians to exit COVID-19 restrictions will begin on Monday.

The plan, announced on Sunday, includes four steps before reaching a ‘COVID normal’ no earlier than November 23.

Due to a lower concentration of COVID-19 cases, regional Victoria, including Mitchell and Macedon Ranges shires, will move to the second step on Monday, two weeks before Melbourne.

The plan comes after the latest COVID-19 figures show there are eight active cases in the Mitchell Shire.

As part of the second step, the four reasons to leave home will still apply and people will still be encouraged to work from home, but up to five people will be able to gather in outdoor public spaces from a maximum of two households.

Outdoor playgrounds and outdoor pools can reopen from Monday.

People living alone or single parents will be able to nominate one visitor to create a bubble, much like what already exists for intimate partners.

Hospitality businesses will remain open for take-away and delivery only.

All students in regional Victoria will return to onsite learning between October 12 and 16.

Regional Victoria will be able to move to the third step when the daily number of cases in regional Victoria is less than five, an average over a 14-day period, and there have also been zero cases with an unknown source.

Under the third step, there will be no restrictions on reasons to leave home, and public gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed outdoors while five visitors will be allowed from a nominated household.

Also as part of step three, hospitality will begin to reopen with predominantly outdoor dining, while real estate agents will be able to hold outdoor auctions with limits.

All junior sport will be able to resume outdoors while only non-contact adult sport will resume.

Regional Victorians will be able to travel across all areas in step three.

Regional Victoria will join Melbourne in taking the last step after November 23, and when the state has had no new cases for 14 days.

Hospitality business will re-open for seated service, while other entertainement venues will open with restrictions. Beauty salons will also be able to reopen in the last step.

Mr Andrews said he understood some people may be disappointed by the slow and steady approach.

“I understand there’ll be some people who’ll be disappointed, those who wanted more and sooner. But these are the steady and sustainable steps that our health experts tell us will see us out of this – safely,” he said.

The Nationals leader Peter Walsh said the government’s approach would kill jobs, businesses and regional economies.

Opposition leader Michael O’Brien said many businesses would be forced to keep their doors closed for weeks, with no promise of a date they could reopen.

“Families, businesses and communities have done the right thing but will continue to live under the strictest lockdown in the nation because of the failures of Daniel Andrews’ government,” he said.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said businesses had high hopes but had been left frustrated.

“Victoria’s economy is experiencing its biggest crisis in modern times with thousands of businesses unable to operate for most of this year, and the government needs to allow Victorians to get back to work while managing the health crisis. This cannot continue to be a choice of health over economy,” he said.

Real Estate Institute of Victoria chief executive Gil King slammed the announcement, saying private inspections were ‘far safer’ than a trip to the shops and called on landlords to stop negotiating rent reductions.

WR (2020-09-08)

The North Central Review
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WR (2020-09-08)

NCR (2020-09-08)

The North Central Review
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NCR (2020-09-08)

Planning for Gisborne underway

The North Central Review
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Planning for Gisborne underway

CONSULTATION is underway for the future of Gisborne, and Macedon Ranges Shire Council is encouraging residents to have their say on the draft plans.

Council officers collaborated online with design consultants City Collective to host three public webinars discussing the draft plans.

Council is seeking feedback as they near the end of the planning phase, and all the draft documents are available on council’s website for review by Gisborne residents.

Draft plans include a Gisborne Neighbourhood Character Study, a long-term Structure Plan and an Urban Design Framework.

The webinars gave people the chance to ask any questions or address concerns they had with the draft plans.

Council officers compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions and gathered responses for each one.

Some of the questions surrounded population growth, areas selected for development, and the purpose of the plans.

The Gisborne Futures project was developed to manage growth and change in Gisborne over the next 30 years.

The Macedon Ranges Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) applies protected settlement boundaries to towns within the Macedon Ranges identified as having capacity for future growth.

In response to a question, council’s website described the Neighbourhood Character Study’s purpose as detailing which features of Gisborne made it unique and distinctive to other towns.

Through a neighbourhood character study an objective description of a neighbourhood’s existing character is used to develop planning controls and guidelines that ensure new development is sited and designed to respond to the existing or preferred future character of an area.

The purpose of the Urban Design Framework is to form urban design guidelines and streetscape concept plans that seek to maintain Gisborne’s village character.

The quality and design of buildings and streetscapes in the town centre is important to the overall image and appearance of Gisborne, making it an attractive place to live and to invest – which contributes significantly to the economic viability of the township.

A Structure Plan will guide the future of township growth, including housing, transport, shops, parks, landscapes and infrastructure.

For more information, contact council’s strategic planning team on 5422 0333, or visit mrsc.vic.gov.au to view the plans.

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