By JESSE GRAHAM
CHANGES to the Yarra Ranges Erosion Management Overlay (EMO) have been put on hold after a resident argued that the council hadn’t got their facts right.
At the Yarra Ranges Council’s meeting on 27 January, councillors unanimously voted to delay a Planning Scheme Amendment for three months after a resident objected to the item.
The amendment was to change the mapping of the EMO and would have resulted in 28 properties being removed from the overlay,13 being added and boundaries being adjusted on 31 other properties.
It also would have introduced planning permit exemptions for minor developments, among other changes which a council officer’s report said would “simplify” the EMO.
Properties across the Dandenong Ranges as well as Wandin North were set to be affected by the changes.
However, a Silvan resident whose land was set to have the EMO cover it under the changes, spoke against the proposal and said his property didn’t fit the criteria to be under the EMO.
The overlay aims to reduce the risk of landslip, and the resident displayed for the councillors photos of his land, which appeared to be evenly-levelled.
The resident said he had asked a geotechnical expert commissioned by the council when the last landslip would have occurred on the land, and was allegedly told “probably during the last ice age”.
He said the proposal to include his property under the EMO was not supported by any below-surface geotechnical testing, and asked for it to be removed from the amendment.
Councillors then questioned Yarra Ranges Council Director of Building, Planning and Health, Andrew Paxton, who said there was strong expert advice that the property be included.
Councillor Fiona McAllister put forward a motion to delay a decision on the matter for three months, while the evidence was reviewed.
“I think the issue around this property needs to be looked at again,” Cr McAllister said.
“If we’re going to make changes and look at a planning scheme amendment, we have to be sure we’ve got this right … and this property is a great case study to look at and make sure we’re making the right decision.
The councillors unanimously voted for the deferment, with the item set to come back to council within three months.
