By Andrew Cantwell
It seems the rapid pace of development in the South East has caught up with the residents of Beaconsfield’s Glismann Road … and they’re not happy about the price they may have to pay under development guidelines being prepared by the Cardinia Council.
Residents along the gravelled Glismann Road live in a green oasis – on large blocks carved out under Cardinia Shire’s ‘rural living zone’ – while new housing estates continue to be packed in all around them.
The surrounding development has done wonders for property values; but developers, too, realise the value of land that currently holds one dwelling but could profitably hold 10 or more.
Cardinia Council, some 12 years ago realised the need for orderly development of the properties along the road, and has been working towards a development plan – to include road sealing, traffic lights, a few roundabouts, a park and an access road opening up land to the west, behind Beaconsfield Primary School.
The matter came to a head after the Federal Election this year, when a promised sum of almost $18 million was allocated to ‘congestion busting’ works at eight intersections in the South East, including Glismann Road.
Cardinia is now seeking approval from the State Planning Minister to prepare and exhibit planning scheme amendment C238, which would allow the traffic works at Glismann Road to get underway – but would also rezone the land from rural living to general residential, and set the conditions for future development, including developer contributions to pay for the necessary infrastructure.
But the impact on rates – and the question of who exactly will pay for what – has caused concern among the road’s residents.
A group attended last week’s Cardinia Council meeting seeking clarification, and almost half the questions during public question time were on the Glismann Road planning amendment.
Residents were told the amendment was still in the planning stages, and the council could still decide not to proceed with it.
They were also advised the changes allowed for in the amendment, if eventually approved, would only be triggered on future building development – for which the developers would pay the costs.
The only thing that would be felt if and when the amendment is approved would be the rating change, to the general residential rate, amounting to a modest increase.
Importantly, and this seemed to appease the majority of residents at the meeting, no private land would be compulsorily acquired to allow for development.
