Sink plan plea

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
PEOPLEopposing the Seville supermarket development are making a last-minute plea for councillors to sink the proposal after the area flooded for the second time in three months.
Residents say the flooding on the weekend 12 and 13 February was dangerous, adding that there was a chance it could happen again.
Although the independent State Government panel report said the flood plain would restrict a residential development, residents say there was no evidence to suggest a negative impact of the flooding on the supermarket development.
The report states that there should be a storm water management plan drawn up as part of the planning permit.
Yarra Ranges’ councillors will make a decision on the planning proposal at tonight’s meeting, 22 February.
Mount Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association (MEEPPA) president Franc Smith said residents who were opposed to the development had brought up the issue of flooding nearly a year ago.
“Warburton Highway was closed most of this weekend (12 and 13 February) at the proposed development site in Seville as we foreshadowed it could be nearly a year ago,” he said.
“We had discussed nearly 12 months ago that this site was subject to a flood overlay… but no one took any notice.”
The council itself has marked half of the land as a flood plain with a “Land Subject to Inundation Overlay”.
Mr Smith said the speed, velocity and depth of the flood through Seville on 12 February was “certainly life threatening, as outlined in the LSIO provisions in the council planning scheme, without any exaggeration”.
When the Mail last spoke to development spokesperson Robert Harris, he said residents’ fears should have been alleviated with the panel’s recommendations.
“We are committed and think it will be a great asset for the future, but it’s out of our hands for now,” he had said.
The Mail spoke to several residents in Seville on the weekend who believe the development would breathe new life into the town, and along with the new water play park, attract many more visitors.
Council received 213 submissions opposing the amendment and 483 submissions supporting it; as well as a petition with 1078 signatures opposing the proposal and a petition with 795 signatures in support of the proposal.
The nine councillors will vote on the proposed development at tonight’s council meeting.