CONSULTATION on new planning controls for the Endeavour Cove site in Patterson Lakes has closed.
Kingston Council is drafting new planning controls for the marina land which would give it more control over future developments. Any final decision on changes to the planning controls will be made by the state government’s planning minister.
The current planning controls were recently tested at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing. VCAT rejected a proposal for a planned 10-storey building at the site to be used for residential purposes with a reduction in car parking. However, it found that under the current planning controls that no permission is required to actually construct the building (“Tribunal rules on 10-storey plans at Cove site” The News 12/10/22).
Council is proposing to introduce a planning permit requirement for some buildings and works that are currently exempt, including apartment developments.
Kingston mayor Steve Staikos welcomed the recent VCAT decision. He said “the VCAT decision reinforces council’s view that the new planning controls should come first, before any significant new developments are considered in the Cove precinct.
“It’s vital that our community’s voice is heard as we plan for the future of the Cove,” he said. “The next steps are for council to review the submissions before calling for an independent planning panel to be appointed by the minister for planning (…) who will make the ultimate decision on any changes to the planning controls. Anyone who made a submission will be invited to present their views to the panel to ensure their important feedback and experiences are considered.”
Past decisions made by Kingston Council in relation to the Cove site were probed by an Ombudsman investigation last year. The investigation found that council’s decisions lacked transparency but did not substantiate allegations of corruption (“Incompetence blamed for council’s Cove decisions” The News 20/10/21).
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 19 October 2022