Neighbour Tony Hammon, Member for Eastern Victoria Edward O’Donohue, Alison Pitt, Greg Pallistar,
By Monique Ebrington
YARRA Junction resident Stephen Wales will go to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal in a desperate bid to save the family business.
Mr Wales operates an earthmoving and excavating equipment business off Lowes Road.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges refused a permit application for Mr Wales’ 10.5 hectare property, lodged by land development consultants Millar and Merrigan on his behalf which would allow him to continue to operate the business.
Mr Wales, a civil contractor, has been operating his business from the Yarra Junction property for 30 years and says he intended passing it on to his 24-year-old son Danny.
Victorian Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu visited the Wales’ property last Wednesday, saying that he was concerned that the decision had put local jobs at risk.
“Stephen has been providing work for locals and doing work for locals for years,” Mr Baillieu said.
“It’s the old saying, he was here first.”
Mr Wales said he spends around $40,000 a month in the community through local electricians, mechanics, tyre replacements and petrol.
Yarra Junction resident and employee Robert Johnson has been working for Mr Wales for more than 25 years, and said he wouldn’t have a job if it weren’t for him.
Mr Johnson lost the function of his legs four years ago in a machinery accident and continued to work after equipment was modified to accommodate his needs, a gesture he doesn’t think other employers would entertain.
“If it wasn’t for Steve I wouldn’t be working. No-one’s going to employ me with two buggered legs,” Mr Johnson said.
Yarra Ranges Shire Director of Planning, Building and Health James Larmour-Reid said Mr Wales’ permit to use the site for a “contractor’s yard” expired in 1993.
He said that permit was issued by the Shire of Upper Yarra as an interim measure to provide time for the business to be relocated to a more appropriate site and the Shire of Yarra Ranges was also acting in the interest of residents.
“The site has a long history of non-compliance with the planning scheme dating back to at least 1987, well before the introduction of the Green Wedge Zone,” Mr Larmour-Reid said.
“Over that time the former Shire of Upper Yarra and the current council have received a number of complaints about the use of the site.
“The council has on a number of occasions tried to encourage Mr Wales to relocate his business to a more appropriately zoned industrial site and remains prepared to assist him with this.”
Tony Hammon has lived next door to Mr Wales for the past 12 years, saying he has never had a problem with the business being next door.
He described the decision to refuse the permit as “a crock.”
Millar and Merrigan Development Consultant Michael Hales said he was disappointed that the council had decided to refuse the application.
“There is surely a place for uses such as this that are needed in local rural communities,” Mr Wales said.
“If such uses can only be located in industrial areas it obviously adds to the time, cost, traffic and environmental impacts of increased travel times and is contrary to sustainability goals.”
Mr Wales said if they are not successful at VCAT it wouldn’t be profitable for him to relocate and he would lose his business.
“I’m not very happy about it. My whole life is in here and the future of Danny and the guys. A bloke puts his life into something and they come around and shut the door on you,” Mr Wales said.
“I feel like I’m getting ripped off but we’ll just have to see what happens at VCAT.”
