Drainage woes halt Officer subdivision

Council has rejected an application for the subdivision of 46 Tivendale Road, Officer. 175451

By Bonny Burrows

It is hoped a referral of an application for the subdivision of a four-hectare parcel of land in Officer to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal will provide clarification on drainage requirements within the town’s structure plan.
At the 20 November Cardinia Shire general council meeting, councillors refused an application to subdivide 46 Tivendale Road, Officer, into 56 lots on the grounds they were unclear how such a proposal would fit in accordance with the Officer Precinct Structure Plan (Officer PSP).
It was the third time the proposal had been put to the council, with the item being deferred twice within the past two months at the request of the applicant as they tried to work to address matters of concern.
However, the applicant decided to proceed with the proposal without the necessary changes.
Of particular worry to the council, were drainage reserves and the effects on neighbouring properties, particularly Lot 5 Starling Road, which has a planning permit for a medium density development before the council.
A council report on the matter stated that while the Officer PSP was consistent with Melbourne Water’s Officer Drainage Scheme, “the broader issue is with the north-west properties which are within the same drainage catchment”.
The document acknowledged it was difficult for the applicant of the directly abutting Starling Road development to “obtain appropriate information in order to align their drainage corridor and sediment pond with the subject site as it is consistent with the PSP”.
“Until each landowner makes an application to subdivide their land it is difficult to ascertain whether a piped drainage solution is practical for the overall area,” the report stated.
Councillor Brett Owen said the council understood the Tivendale Road applicants would refer the matter to VCAT if council was to issue a refusal.
This was possibly the best option for the council, he said, as it still had questions about what was required by developments within the precinct.
The deputy mayor said he believed a VCAT appeals process could help the council understand what to look for in future proposals.
“What the Officer Structure Plan says in terms of how wide pathways and drainage reserves should be, I think that’s all a grey area,” Cr Owen said.
“I’m hoping VCAT might help the council clarify, and for the landowners clarify, what’s required in this space.”