Shire ‘inconsistent’

By Melissa Meehan
SEVILLE resident Rob Hadlum has hit out at the Shire of Yarra Ranges, calling them inconsistent.
After reading “Winery plans sour” (Upper Yarra Mail, 30 September) Mr Hadlum contacted the Mail, angry that councillors had refused a planning application for Seville Estate due to a “dusty, unsealed road”.
“I was amazed to read the story about how the council denied these people the right to expand their business,” Mr Hadlum said.
“Especially when less than six months earlier, they approved a subdivision up the street from our place refuting claims by other residents that the road was unsafe.
“They said the state of the road wouldn’t come into the decision.”
Mr Hadlum’s house backs on to Howard Street, where the new development is soon to begin.
“It’s not that we have a problem with the subdivision, it’s the owner’s entitlement to an early retirement,” Mr Hadlum said.
“But we asked the council to take into consideration the state of the road, and the corner the driveway would be sitting on – it’s so unsafe.”
He and other residents in Ashley Court contacted shire staff asking them to take into consideration an alternativeposition for the driveway to the subdivision, but when it came to the council meeting no changes were made.
“It’s just disappointing to see that the council is so inconsistent in its decisions,” Mr Hadlum said.
Shire of Yarra Ranges Community Relations Manager James Martin said that each case brought to council was considered on its own merits.
“The two applications are completely different and while I’m not completely across the finer details of the previous decision, the clear distinction seems to be that one was for a residential development, the other for a commercial proposal,” Mr Martin said.
He said a commercial property would be expected to generate much greater traffic than a residential development.