Nyora expansion a step closer

SOUTH Gippsland Shire Councillors voted at their April public meeting to adopt a proposed Development Plan, which will now pave the way for a planning permit application for a large-scale Nyora subdivision.

The Development Plan has been prepared on four separate titles of land, with a total area of approximately 5.925 hectares, bounded by Davis Street to the west and Grundy Avenue to the east.

While the document concerned breaks the proposed development into four stages, the overall project envisaged in the Development Plan allows for over 60 residential lots of various sizes.

Four submissions were received on the Development Plan, expressing a range of concerns.

Council’s April meeting agenda outlines these concerns as follows:

• Loss of the court bowl at the end of Cornishs Road, for the construction of a connecting road

• Increase in traffic as a result of development

• Safety concerns with increase of vehicles using Cornishs Road

• Pedestrian safety with opening up Cornishs Road, including children currently playing on the current dead-end road

• Preference to retain Cornishs Road as a court

• All lots should have access from Davis Street only to retain the quiet court

• Stormwater runoff and flooding concerns to adjoining properties.

Council officers believe the proposed Development Plan meets the requirements of the Development Plan Overlay, and considering its content and the submissions received, recommended councillors vote in favour of adopting it.

A major consideration was the relevant road and pedestrian network that development of the land would entail.

Davis Street is controlled by the Department of Transport, which expressed concern with the three access points into the proposed subdivision.

“The applicant subsequently amended the DP to address this concern, and there is now only one main access point along Davis Street,” the meeting agenda states.

Since the internal road layout supports local traffic only to 
allow access to the housing lots and limits traffic flow through the site, an officer assessment argues this increases safety and allows for pedestrian and cyclist movement.

It is stressed in council’s meeting agenda that stormwater issues have been considered.

“A Stormwater Management Strategy (SWMS) has been prepared in support of the Development Plan; the SWMS demonstrates how the proposed development can meet the Urban Stormwater Best

Practice Environmental Management Guidelines,” it is stated.

Now council has approved the Development Plan, no further public consultation or engagement will be afforded on it.

Nyora local, Cr Mick Felton spoke at the April council meeting about the significance of the Development Plan to the town.

“This is the start of what will end up being quite a lot of houses getting built in Nyora, and when I moved to Nyora in 2009 we were informed about the possibilities of growth,” Cr Felton said.

“It’s not something that I would like to see happen, but it will happen.”

Cr John Schelling expressed confidence that concerns expressed by some Nyora residents have been addressed in the Development Plan.

Cr Jenni Keerie spoke of her appreciation of the time people who will be living close to the intended development site took to come in and raise their concerns, saying it has been helpful when considering the future growth of Nyora and what council needs to take into account.

Mayor Nathan Hersey said those locals raising concerns over the intended Nyora development addressed councillors directly.

The session at which residents spoke of their concerns was not open to the public, with Sentinel-Times unable to attend, in line with current council policy.

“Most of the issues were relatively minor in context of the whole proposal and most residents would have been happy to have a few minor amendments to make sure it was even more palatable for the community,” Cr Hersey said.

The recommendation to adopt the proposed Development Plan for the Nyora land at 18A Davis Street and 32 Grundy Avenue was carried unanimously.